#the song and pv just make me feel so alive

[ywpd-translations]

Ride 726: Sakamichi until the Central Sports Park

Pag 1

1: Two hours earlier, Sohoku High School racing team is on the mountain road towards the training camp

2: Are you alright, Onoda-san!?

Ugh....

Y- your condition... ahh, ahhhh

Captain!!

3: We were descending at a high speed, and then the moment we entered the mountain road his face turned... white

What do we do about this training camp

Is- is.... is he going to be alright?

4: Yeah, don't worry

It's Onoda-kun's specialty that we've gotten used to – car sickenss!!

I didn't think it would happen three years in a row

Pag 2

1: At the same place!!

2: I'm- alright, Naru.... ko... kun

Yeah you don't look alright at all

Your face is as white as paper

3: During these three years.... I've learned... and

I've come..... prepared....

4: Go ahead before me

5: There's no need to contact Toji-san either

6: From here....

Pag 3

1: To the Cycling Sports Park it's 18km....

I realized that on this mountain road

Pag 4

1: If I go with my bike, I'm sure I won't feel sick!!

Pag 5

1: I don't feel faint and I don't feel sick either

And I won't bother everyone

Ahhh... bikes really are the best...!!

2: But I'll be a little later for the start

I'll hurry as much as possible

(Time display)

4: But

5: The air is sweet, and I'm able to slowly enjoy the scenery

Ah, I can see the sea

6: I even started humming without noticing

Hm hm hm

Ahhh the “Love Hime”'s third season announcement PV only has the chorsu part of the song.... I want to listen to the opening!!

Even though I'm pedaling like this

Pag 6

1: There's many things to discover

2: 3km to go!!

3: This climb, and then the descent after it!!

4: Alright, I'm at the top

5: Hm hm hm

6: Hime hime

Pag 7

1: Hime.....

2: Waaaaaaaa, he's deaaad!!

3: Someone- someone's collapsed

Waaaaa my first dscorvery

Wh- wh- what should I do

4: My phone, my phone

Pag 8

1: I'm alive

A- i- u- e- o

Pag 9

1: See, I can even speak Japanese

2: I'm just resting

On the ground

3: You can go

Goodbye

4: O-okay

Sorry, you surprised me

5: What a strange person....

Well, then....

He was wearing a unifer, is he a student.....?

Pag 10

1: Hakone Academy is around here, maybe he's an Hakone Academy's student?

2: Uh-oh, I'm on my way to training camp! I have to hurry

I left the start to Naruko-kun, but....

4: Huh?!

This smell....

5: Just now the smell of plants was mixed a little with the smell of blood!!

Pag 11

1: He's injured!!

2: Maybe I'm wrong? Maybe I'm making a mistake?

Maybe he'll brush me off again!?

3: But

4: Let's turn back!!

Aaaaaaaa

Pag 12

2: Oh?

3: The four-eyes from before

Pag 13

1: I'm just resting, you can go

Yo-yo-you're injured!!

2: I have water and bandages!!

Oh

3: Are you kidding me

4: No way something so convenient

5: is... happe.... ning

Waa-

6: Are you alright!? Were you hit by car!?

Are you alright!?

7: Huh? No... on my own.....

On your own!?

Pag 14

1: Just for a moment, I looked away just a little

And then there was a hole and I fell

2: This is so hard, this is so hard

3: He's not listening

5: He's so bad at this....

6: But

Pag 15

1: You saved me

Thanks a lot

5: I'm glad!

7: By the way, that

Is the same as the one that a famous guy from Chiba rides

The bicycle

Pag 16

1: Huh

2: You know bicycles very well?

Yeah

3: I was riding one earlier

4: Earlier?

5: Now it's a little....

Waaa- It's fallen to the bottom of the valley...!!

6: I was riding, then I got caught in a hole

Kinda like that

Pag 17

1: Leave it to me, I'll bring it to you

2: I'll....

Ohhh, what a kind guy!!

3: I-!!

Waa--!!

5: …. well then, I'll go

Somehow now it feels reversed and I feel sorry

6: By the way....

Ahead of here

7: There's only the Cycling Sports Park

And from today for the next four days it's reserved so you can't use it

So where are you going, Four-eyes-san?

Pag 18

1: To the Cycling Sports Park

2: I'm Chiba's.... Sohoku High School's cap.... captain

Do you know of it?

My name is Onoda Sakamichi

We're having a training camp there from today

Pag 19

2: Who?

Huh- ah, no- haha it's it's just a name

He doesn't know me....!! This is so embarassing!!

3: You're kidding me.....

4: The super famous person of Chiba!!

5: This is baad... I was s surprised I bluffed and pretended not to know

Ah... uhm, and you?

6: Huh, me?

I'm- I'm!!

Pag 20

1: I'm Hakone Academy first year, the super rookie!! I'm Tobirama!!

2: It hurts

This person's head looks like a scrubbing brush

[yuukei-yikes]

any thoughts on remind blue?

currently, it is my favorite kagepro song (this changes like every week but i digress...) and i really want to make a pv for it but i lowkey have no idea where to start

your analysis/ramblings on things is really interesting to read and see, so also just wanted to let you know that i love all the content you post!! :D

I LOV remind blue. like every kagepro song makes me want to rip my face off ♥️♥️♥️ but this one is one of those that make me feel so strongly that i cant listen to it ♥️♥️♥️ cuz i do that btw. i cannot listen to kagepro songs without preparing myself emotionally and it has to be when i am alone in my room. i could never listen to them in public. that'd be weird. im drawing and suddenly a kagepro song comes on in my playlist and im like this is so fucked up who put this here (<- i did)

songs like summertime record, lost day hour, remind blue and ayanos theory of happiness specifically i basically never listen to because it causes something in me both mentally and physically. im normal though.

TOTALLY support the idea to make a pv!!! i wouldn't know how to start either tbh💔 who would u make it be sung by?? like the song is so good but for the lyrics im like meh like str is already a thing. idk it sorta has the same vibe. its like summertime record and lost day hour's lyrics had a little baby together. which is why i always liked to interpret it as a haruka song but fuck it ig its shintaro's.

i also liked the idea of it being seto's or hibiya's. i think they'd deserve a song like this, especially hibiya!! tho for hibiya the whole "adult" thing is different LOL and even seto, he's just 17... ive always loved haruka being the punchbag for the "im an adult wtf" feeling because he goes from living his whole life thinking he will die and then he doesn't. or well he DOES die but then comes back, and suddenly he finds himself with his whole life ahead. like haruka and his early 20s crisis abt i did NOT think id be alive this long and now i gotta deal with everything those feelings bring me but at the same time i have to pay rent and worry abt what to make for dinner soooo erm fine ig. that's also what i think lost day hour is about, i know jin describes it more like a song abt old friends but girl idk it rly only has a couple lines abt that as opposed to all the rest of the song... erm. what was i talking about again.

i just think it was rly funny how we were all like ok remind blue uses "boku" so it's seto kano hibiya or haruka (or konoha). and then jin was like hehe. shintaro♥️ SHINTARO DOESNT EVEN USE BOKU whatever im pretty sure he also said it can fit anyone and its more a general mekakushi dan song. but tbh so is summertime record sooooo. sorry im sidetracking a lot

i dont particularly care for remind blue so much (LIKE THE SONG SLAPS im still talking about lyrics) bc it's very heavy on the shit abt like growing distant and stuff sortof??? like kagepros ending/str is implied to have the mekadan not grow apart but kinda do their own thing while still meeting to hang out, bc kagepro is also about growing up and with growing up comes maybe growing distant from these friends you love, but they will always be important and one of a kind in ur life and when u meet its like time hasnt rly passed between you. not to mention the whole thing about combining eyes and how all the snakes will always end up gathering by the queen no matter what, meaning the dan will always be bound to make their ways back to each other no matter what, and are connected to one another by the literal narrative that theyre all actually sort of aware of a little bit (they always refer to their tragedy as a "story"..kagepro is a little meta lol). and like that's all so beautiful but also fuck it. they all meet for pizza nights every week. erm. the passage of time am i right

ALSO TY FOR READING MY POSTS:///3 I LOVE KAGEROU PROJECT A NORMAL AMOUNT AND IM A NORMAL PERSON

[daidoruyume]

Chapter 6  “Celebrate! Party for ☆light" concert in Tokyo

We arrived at the venue with a lot of time to spare. There were many fans already waiting, and we even found some known faces. We catched up with them and soon the doors were open. We got the merch we bought, and it all looked so pretty, with their logo and their pictures. I started feeling those thrills… soon we would be together, and all of my hard work this year would be compensated. I was so excited!

 “Yuu-chan, Yuu-chan!! Kei-chan looks the cutest in this clothes, doesn’t she?” Kaho kept bothering me about Keiko. Obviously, I did the same with Miyuu. We kept talking about our oshis nonstop… otakus can be annoying sometimes. Like, most of the time, but whatever. The huge screens started showing clips from their PVs, then started announcing their names. My heart was beating so fast… I was already waving my penlight like crazy, and yelling with all my might. 

 “Are you ready?” Miyuu spoke from afar. Oh. My God! They finally appeared on stage, and their clothes were so pretty. Without hesitation, the girls initiated their first song, 二人きりのタイム (Futari kiri no taimu/Time for only the two of us). The center was Keiko, and when Ilooked at Kaho for a second, she was literally crying. They were so pretty, so energetic! The fans were also at their prime, it seemed to be. Soon they started the second song, one step forward ☆ 進め! (One step forward susume/One step forward, keep going). The Rin oshis were so hyped (she was the center this time), and I particularly liked this song a lot, too.

 But it wasn’t until the third song that I felt in Heaven. They performed PEACE! PEACE! PEACE!, which had Miyuu as the center. She shined so bright. Her dress, her blonde hair, her earrings and necklace, her shoes… everything sparkled. I was in a pretty good location (alongside Kaho), and we could see the stage really, really well. I was mesmerized, flabbergasted, even, and she was all I could see. I sang along with the chorus, repeating “PEACE! PEACE! PEACE!” whenever I got the chance to do so. 

 The song ended to initiate a MC.

“Are you guys having fun?” Miyuu began speaking. “Because we are. It’s so good, actually, to finally be here. We really, really thank you all so much for coming. For anyone who’s new, let’s introduce ourselves! Starting from oldest to youngest, ‘kay?” She said, then taking a sip of water. I kind of liked how sweat dripped from their cute little faces, and how they took longer breaths when they were MCing.

 “Hello everyone. I’m Nishijima Keiko, the mom of the group, or so that’s how I’m referred to as… let’s enjoy this beautiful day!” Her oshis cheered delightfully, and she smiled, bowed and then looked for the next one in line.

“Hi guys! It’s been a while since the last concert. I’m Satomi. We worked really hard just for you, I hope you enjoy the songs we picked for tonight!” The same happened with her, and a little spoiler: the cheerings, bows and smiles did repeat for everyone else, so don’t make me mention it everytime.

 “I already had some chat with you, right?” This time it was Miyuu speaking. “I’m the leader, Miyuu! I can’t wait to have even more fun with you guys. I hope you remember this day forever.” I was so glad to be there, not just that, but simply being alive at the same time as her… it made me feel so great. Everything made sense when I was with her.

 Anna started talking, introducing herself as Miyuu’s little sister, but I was soon in some kind of trance. I had my eyes locked with Miyuu’s. Amongst the crowd, she had found me? Well, of course I was wearing her colors and merch, but… but she had found me. She had chosen to look at me. She was smiling, and waving her hand, and… just, staring, deeply into my soul. Just like in my dreams, she was looking at me. I felt somewhat blessed. If I ever disliked the feeling of being alive, or brought into this world, I couldn’t relate to it anymore. 

 When I regained consciousness of my surroundings, it was already Ayumi talking. She was still a little shy, and you could hear everyone saying “awn”. The MC ended soon after, with them announcing the next song, 笑顔とsunRISE (Egao to sunRISE/Smile and Sunrise). I kept finding myself in this weird position where I tried to be excited for the songs, but nothing could top the feeling I had when Miyuu was looking at me. It was something else. Some other kind of happiness. Maybe it was love. I hadn’t found it anywhere else before, so I was still a little unsure. 

 It was finally the time for Moonlight Monogatari and I was hyped once again. Just as I wished, I shouted the “Da-i-su-ki!” I wanted to shout so badly, and I jumped as high as I could. I guess I did stand out between the fans. Just a little bit. I was very, very excited. In the next MC they announced the new album again, and talked about the songs and the meanings behind them. They were all written by MiNA, but had co-writings of the girls themselves. I loved seeing that!

Miyuu started talking about her song, and I paid a lot of attention.

 “My new solo, uh, Hanabi, is a love song. I guess you might not think I’m really suited for a love song, but I actually” She laughed,  “I actually like them a lot. This is a song about lovers who were separated and have only memories to live on, unable to be together. When I read the lyrics MiNA-San wrote, I got really excited to sing this song. Please,” She held the microphone tightly. “pay a lot of attention to the lyrics that were written with all her heart.” And I was going to, obviously…<3 “I also have another announcement I’d like to make… it’s something for the future, though, but I’d like if you guys could start getting hyped by it. Our members aren’t just singers and dancers, some of us can also play instruments, so we decided to form a band! It’s me, Rin-tan, Yumecchi and Ayu-chan! I won’t reveal anything else yet, but we’re preparing really good music for you! It’s going to be really, really cool!” I knew Miyuu was a skilled guitarist, but I didn’t think the company would actually appreciate that. I was glad, happy, and even more excited. My heart was full of good feelings.

 The concert continued, and we sang, cried and laughed a lot. I felt sudden sadness when it ended, although I was glad. But there was still the meet and greet session. I remembered my dream and… I felt a little… nervous… If Miyuu and I were able to look at each other that way, just like what I saw in my dreams… couldn’t.. Couldn’t she actually try to kiss me? Or is that too crazy? Am I too delusional…? But… there’s a possibility… right?

 I woke up in a small room, with a woman staring at me.

[terubakudan]

アルルカン 【Arlequin】 ー  Alive

[ginkgomoon]

After the Future (Season 2)- Song Analysis

So excited to start working on putting my music analyses out! Although I am very passionate about music, I hadn't chosen to study it in school, hence why I hesitated in even trying as I thought I would be lacking the musical terminology and knowledge to fully commit to a proper analysis. However, I did want to persevere, and after back and forth emails to a music teacher, I finally had finally gathered enough material to start the base of own personal analysis on the music tracks. The amazing teacher had helped me with the identifying musical parts of the songs, and I had to be the bridge to connect everything else together with MLQC in a way that would be appropriate to the lore and make it understandable for others to read. Music was and still is a big part of my gameplay. It invigorated so many emotions and I wouldn't be so connected to the game if it weren't for it. It is truly something to be appreciated of. Thank you to all the amazing people who helped made these amazing pieces of art.

If anyone had studied film, the arts, or literally is a fic writer, you would know that the sentence you write or shot you take is something of high value and intent that would contribute to the building of a particular work.

Music is the same. Everything is intentional and necessary. Everything you hear commits to a particular purpose/theme and the message you want to convey. The MLQC music tracks in particular have no lyrics, which accentuates the fact that the emotions, the connections and the information you gather comes strictly from the various instruments and sounds that you hear.

This, therefore makes music analysing much fun but a lot more complicated.

For example, without lyrics we have to be extra vigilant. A certain note or instrument could present itself and we might have to correlate that to something in the gameplay. Or, if a certain instrument represented a certain personality, we would have to expand on that, too.

This analysis includes the PV, which helps further develop the core ideas of Season 1 to Season 2.

Context (Spoilers of S2)

From Chapter 37, we arrive at the end of the first season-

Judgment Day.

MC chooses to crown herself as the White Swan QUEEN and saves the world from Comet X1917.

To do so, she must leave this world behind. She must bid farewell to the guys and turns back time... seventeen years back to her five-year-old self.

Onwards, to Season 2.

Guide

The dot-points (like this) are the musical terms/instruments named that you can hear. - Dashes underneath (like this) will be the storyline connection and interpretation to the music.

Analysis

After The Future is the track that is played as the bridge between Season 1 to Season 2.

Chimes enter. - This is not the first time we hear chimes in the tracks. It's also heard in Love and Vision (Season 1). - This represents MC's faith. Her presence. Her cause and effect's thoughts and actions. Her correspondence to everything. But most importantly, her fate.

Piano enters with chordal accompaniment - chord progression consisting of 4 chords (vi IV I V).

This piece is in E major (a lovely key! Nice and warm!) - We start to see MC with Shaw and Kiro, proceeding to say goodbye to them. We are still in Season 1. - It gives out an almost a saddening, nostalgic feeling. It's like piano is being represented as MC, as we always hear it in Season 1 music tracks.

Lush synthesised string section enters and builds the texture of the music suddenly. - This starts as she says goodbye to Gavin, Victor and Lucien. - This section is like the "ascension" for the boys' gradual realisation and MC's working towards the buildup for her confrontation that she must leave. - This can also be viewed as her ascension as QUEEN, as we can hear the violins and other instruments accompanying it becoming higher in pitch.

Chimes are being heard again as the last thing to "fade out". -MC wears the crown, and the coronation of the White Swan Queen is almost over.

“Love, is what makes me move forward.”

After a silence, electric guitar, drum kit and other instruments enter in a contrasting electronic, slightly rock-style and upbeat section. - This scene in the PV is brilliant, because MC had changed the course and fate of the world. Why and how? - We see a chessboard, exactly parallel to one another. Except the fact that everything use to be black, is now mostly pure white. - In chess, the pieces we play with are black and white. MC is not the Black Swan QUEEN, but crowned herself the victor as White. - This cut happens when the electric guitar picks up, almost symbolising the sudden change that MC makes on the world, therefore, affecting every piece in the board. - The guys can also be argued to be represented as certain pieces in chess (which I am looking forward to expanding on in a future post). - This triggers the happening of Season 2.

The piano improvises a syncopated melody in a mid-high register that sings through the many instruments playing at the same time. This is called a "tutti". - The piano (MC) is heard again. She's alive and kicking in this New World! It drives the rest of the now upbeat instruments, like how MC forges her way through into the world. - The drums accentuates the sense of "intrusion", as we see multiple shots of various locations in Loveland City, almost insights/premonitions to what we will encounter in the future. - MC is with the five guys again, looking bolder, and we can sense that she has changed in the New World, too. - Everyone just looks so good in the PV.

The combination of piano and strings create a more ‘classical’ feel that merge well with the more electronic-sounding instruments that enter in the second section.

The music starts to "ascend" again. - She had used her powers as QUEEN, and now in this world, she must strive towards to fulfil another purpose- to another set of promises.

The continuity of the initial instruments creates a sense of unity in this short piece, then dramatically fades. - This is ultimately representing the worlds that she has merged together to create this New World. - This shows that the unity of the worlds is over, the "reset" has begun, and MC must proceed to find the guys's "old selves". - And so it begins!

"What if... on that day..."

[guiltypleasurefandomface]

1, 5, 8, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 ok, I'll stop LOL // onegoldenglance

Blimey! This took me a while 😁

1) an album you can’t stop listening to lately

Good Years by The Shires.

5) name an album you feel is perfect

A Night at the Opera

8) name an artist/band that isn’t touring at the moment who you’d really like to see in concert

Does The Beatles count for this answer? 

12) if you could hear any album performed live in its entirety, which would it be?

Ooooh! This is a tough one. I always forget how much I struggle to make decisions until I do one of these ask games. 

I mean, you've got Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and Meatloaf's Bat out of hell and then all of Queens albums. Roger's Outsider and KT Tunstall's acoustic extravaganza. Westlife's Unbreakable Best Of Album 2002  Oh it's so hard to choose. 

Queen II

13) if you could talk to any musician, who would it be? what would you want to say?

I have to choose one!? Out of all the musicians dead or alive!?

It would have to be Freddie. I would tell him what lyrics of which songs resonate with me and that I love his imagery and his poetry in all of his music  and that he was one of the most beautiful and talented artists this world has ever seen.

14) is there any band/musician who you really strongly dislike? if so, why?

Erm. Well nothing to do with her music but there's Laura Mvula. Long story short, she is/was an amazing singer who was diagnosed with CFS/ME way outside of the window and parameters of a CFS/ME diagnosis because she didn't believe her getting so sick on her first tour could be just stress and exhaustion leading to a viral infection. 

She somehow bypassed the post viral syndrome stage of being diagnosed with CFS. Within the time frame of what would be PVS recovery, she underwent the controversial Graded Exercise Therapy which is based on bad fraudulent science from a study filled with medical errors and bizarre conclusions and whilst most people get worse under it, and she miraculously got better. Then she became a vocal advocate of GET, her story was used as a success story for GET and she supported the people behind the fraudulent study who called sufferers of CFS/ME who did not get better after undergoing GET "malingerers" and "people who just like being ill". Mvula then suddenly went quiet when campaigners were successful in getting NICE to remove GET as an approved treatment for CFS and now you can't even find any mention of her ever having CFS/ME in any of her biographies, or the fact it was most likely post viral syndrome in the first place. She hasn't apologised or acknowledged how her actions and attitude caused harm to others with CFS/ME, she just acts like it never even happened.

15) have you ever traveled outside of your area to see a concert? if not, would you want to?

Yes. London, baby! But never again though. 

16) have you ever been in the first row for a concert? if not, what was the closest seat you’ve ever had?

I have! Funny story to this actually. In the time between booking the tickets in the beginning of the year and the concert at the end of the year, the venue changed the seating layout and 5 of us - me and my friend and a group of 3 we didn't know - turned up to find our seats sort of no longer existed. Two of them were now restricted view. The venue had to find us seats wherever they could. I bagged front row with the couple of the 3 and my friend got the back of the stalls because she was tall and I think the third person of the other group got the balcony. 

[entracteofevil]

Round Table Discussion with the Cover Illustrators

Entr’acte of Evil, page 142-145

--First, everyone please introduce yourselves.

Ichika: I’ve been responsible for the first cover and the illustrations for the series. My name is Ichika.

Suzunosuke: I am Suzunosuke. I normally just draw what I want to. I was able to make the cover for the second book.

You: I am You, and I was charged with the cover for this book. I’m really nervous, but I look forward to being able to do this interview with you.

--When did you all first start making illustrations?

Ichika: Since I could first remember. I don’t recall it all that clearly, but by the time I was in first year I was already drawing.

Suzunosuke: I think it was about middleschool. Apparently when I was a kid my parents were consulted by my teachers on the fact that I couldn’t actually draw pictures.

--You couldn’t draw pictures?

Suzunosuke: Even when I was made to stay behind by myself in kindergarten, the only things I drew were like little pictures of flowers on my drawing paper. It wasn’t that I was sick or anything like that, I was just a normal kid who couldn’t draw.

--I see, that’s very unexpected. What about you, You-san?

You: I don’t clearly remember when I first started drawing as a hobby, but my first picture was when I was three years old, and was a portrait of my caregiver in nursery. Back then I always wanted to use every color of crayon I had, and I guess the fact that I’m still always using rainbow colors even now just goes to show that what you learn in the cradle you carry to the grave.

Suzunosuke: I think that’s cool.

--Incidentally, when did you start making pictures related to VOCALOID?

Ichika: I think around 2007…maybe? I remember the first time I drew Miku was after listening to Yuuyu-P’s “White Season”.

Suzunosuke: I don’t remember how many years ago it was, but I feel like the first thing I drew was Kurousa-P’s “Cantarella”.

You: I listened to VOCALOID the first time in the winter of 2007, so I think it was probably around that time.

--So then, when was the first time you encountered AkunoP’s work?

Ichika: It was right after “Daughter of Evil” was posted on Piapro. I had just finished up making a PV, and when I was looking for new content on Piapro I got drawn in by the title and started listening to it.

Suzunosuke: The “Servant of Evil” was on NicoNico Douga’s rankings, and when I opened up the PV it had a tag saying to watch it after “Daughter of Evil”, so I watched them in order of “Daughter of Evil” and “Servant of Evil” for the first time.

You: Like Suzunosuke-san, probably in the autumn of 2008. The “Daughter of Evil” had a lot of buzz when it was first uploaded! I saw it in so many places with Ichika-san’s illustrations~ It feels so strange to see it having taken this form so many years later.

--Suzunosuke-san and You-san, this was the first time you’d seen a song that used Ichika-san’s illustrations, wasn’t it?

Ichika: I’m sorry for being alive…

Suzunosuke: Sorry, haha

You: Hey, hahaha

Ichika: I’m honestly really shaking here, haha

Suzunosuke: Maybe we should reply with “You’re a very wonderful person” ha ha.

-(Laughs) So what was everyone’s thoughts on the work when they saw “Daughter of Evil” and “Servant of Evil”?

Ichika: I think the imagery in it was really easy to get emotional about. I also thought it was a really interesting concept that although “Daughter of Evil” and “Servant of Evil” had a really different feel to them, they still felt like part of the same story.

Suzunosuke: All else aside I thought it was really sad, and I kept getting stuck on the fact that Allen couldn’t be saved. Still, it was because it was such a sad story that I was captivated by it. It also really made me feel the potential of the VOCALOID genre. It’s a derivative work, but also original content.

You: At the time I had thought it was really interesting and unusual to make a work with such dark fantasy elements using VOCALOID. I also really liked how catchy the tune was. It was also really impressive with all the derivative songs and fanart that got uploaded as things went on. I think it’s a work that shouldered a main pillar of the VOCALOID community in its heyday. And it’s really cool that it’s continuing to spread around the world even now.

--What image do you get of its creator, AkunoP?

Suzunosuke: Given he’s got “Akuno” (of evil) in his name, I thought he might be a scary person.

Ichika: Generally the people who do DTM have a kind of science-y image, so there’s that. And when we actually met, I remember he was a lot like that image. Though he was a bit thinner than I had imagined. Maybe if Akuno-san had shown up to our first meeting with his sunglasses look I’d answer that his image was different, haha.

You: Before I met him offline…He made a lot of romantic-type works, so I actually wondered if maybe he was a woman. When we actually met, it was apparently right after he’d changed his look, so I was a little amused to see him wearing a leather jacket and sunglasses.

--Have you all met AkunoP-san wearing sunglasses?

Suzunosuke: I actually just brushed him off because I didn’t know who he was for a second. As a fan the way he is now is probably close to his image as AkunoP, I would think.

Ichika: I also brushed him off.

You: Everybody brushed him off!

--Well that was an unexpected outcome, haha. Next, do you have a favorite AkunoP work?

Ichika: I actually really like “Clockwork Lullaby”. I prefer the quietly compelling melody and lyrics. Aside from that, I remember when I listened to “Daughter of Evil” I was really drawn to it, wondering what other kind of work he’d done, so that left a significant impression.

Suzunosuke: I think that might be “Re_Birthday”. The flow of sin and rebirth is so painfully beautiful, and I always get misty-eyed no matter how many times I listen to it.

You: Like Suzunosuke-san, I like “Re_Birthday”. I really love the music, and as for the story of it I think it’s really great it has that theme of salvation.

--I see. I had thought that Suzunosuke-san might say “Lunacy of Duke Venomania”, so that was surprising.

Suzunosuke: I could also say “Lunacy of Duke Venomania”, but I don’t want people to think I’m someone who likes erotic content, haha. But that’s also another song that I really like.

.

About the Novel Illustrations

.

--How did you feel when you heard about the “Daughter of Evil” becoming a novel?

Ichika: I was simply surprised.

Suzunosuke: I thought it was awesome.

You: I thought it was awesome for Akuno-san. I thought there must have been so many fan’s voices there, and that kind of invisible strength was deeply moving.

--Ichika-san, in the first book you did the cover illustration as well as the ones in the book itself—What was something that was hard about that?

Ichika: I’d have to say highlights.

--Highlights…! Certainly you had to do quite the interaction there… Honestly, was there any point where you were like, “I hope these editors step in dog crap”? haha

Ichika: Nah, ‘cause ever since I’ve become able to put in highlights more seriously, so I’d say it was good practice, haha.

--Suzunosuke-san, you were asked to do the cover for the second book; how was it when they approached you for that?

Suzunosuke: I had thought for sure that they were going to have me just do a pinup on the inside of the book, so then I was kind of like, “Now what?” The others who’ve been involved in it are such amazing illustrators, so I wondered if I’d be good enough for it.

--Was there anything you had trouble with?

Suzunosuke: Drawing the two of them to be just adorable was a little hard.

--I understand you had a bit of revision going on…?

Suzunosuke: Oh no, I saw that as being good training in a lot of ways, so even now it’s a good memory for me.

--You-san, you’ve been asked to do a lot of color illustrations each time, and in this guidebook you were entrusted with the cover illustration. How did you feel after finishing your work?

You: I really like doing the pinups, and I’ll generally paint them as I like, but I dealt with the cover with some different feelings in mind. As a fan I thought that Ichika-san would be given preference for sure. And I’ve refined on my composition a bit looking over past work. I wanted to emulate the flow of things up to now, so like Suzunosuke-san’s work I made it very horizontal.

--Who are some characters that were fun for you to draw in this novel series?

Ichika: All the characters are fun to draw, but if you’re gonna make me choose I’d say Elluka…I had this sense of security while drawing her, like it wasn’t an issue if I made her look a little bit like a villain.

Suzunosuke: I’ve only drawn two characters, so that would be the harmonius Clarith and Michaela. That pair so really cute, so I like them a lot.

--Suzunosuke-san, are there any characters that you would like to draw?

Suzunosuke: I love old man figures, so I’m a bit intrigued by Leonhart. Though I know that’s probably not what you were looking for, haha.

Ichika: (after half a second) It is!

Suzunosuke: Yay, haha

--You-san, you’ve probably drawn all of the main characters at this point; are there any that you’re fond of?

You: Everyone’s fun with how cute they are. I think Riliane-chan is really precious with how her hair is done up. And then there’s the princely Kyle-san—for some reason I’m always grinning when I draw him.

--Please tell us the impressions you were left with as the story has developed.

Ichika: I wasn’t expecting the romantic love between Michaela and Clarith, so that surprised me a bit.

Suzunosuke: I was actually really surprised that the base for Michaela and Gumillia’s appearances were those characters in those other songs.

You: I was also surprised at Michaela and Clarith. I felt the books complemented the content that wasn’t expanded on in the songs, which made them have a lot of interesting points. I think it’s also pretty great that I can now listen to the songs with a fresh perspective.

--Conclusively, how do you think the story will develop in the third book?

Ichika: I think Kyle’s mom is gonna be the final boss.

Suzunosuke: Hmm, I think all of the countries might get wrapped up in the fires of war. All the preliminary announcements have a pretty foreboding feeling to them.

You: All will go according to the will of god (AkunoP).

--Please let us know any final thoughts you have.

Ichika: Thanks for having me here. I don’t know yet how the third book is going to go, but I look forward to being able to go through the novels again with you.

Suzunosuke: I’d be really happy if I could be with you on the sidelines. This interview has been great!

You: I’m really happy to be linked to this series and involved in the work in this way. Thank you very much!

--Thank you very much for joining us everyone!

directory

[edorazzi]

It’s the post everyone’s been waiting for! 

It’s taken a little while for me to get around to this, but it’s worth it for being able to make a full reaction post. This is really long so I’ll put it under a cut, but check it out for my complete scene-by-scene reaction of Miraculous’ “Felix” episode! (´∀｀)♡

Okay, I’ve been putting this off for days now so it’s time to finally get to it. I’m comfy and undisturbed and have my supplies ready to go.

I know next to nothing about what I’m going into. I’ve seen a little bit here and there because some people haven’t tagged their content properly, but I haven’t watched either of the trailers. I haven’t even looked directly at the images of Felix which have been going around. I’ve tried to stay as blind as possible, so as a result I’m pretty excited but also very anxious. I’ve taken two beta blockers today and I’m considering taking a third.

I usually liveblog episodes on our Ladybug PV Discord server (message me for an invite!) but this time I’m making a proper post out of it. I’ll be typing up my reactions as I go then cleaning everything up a little bit afterwards. I think it’s the first time I’ve done something like this on my blog so here goes!

- “Script: Thomas Astruc” NO. HE REALLY COULDN’T JUST STEP AWAY FROM THIS EPISODE GRACEFULLY, COULD HE. HE HAD TO GET HIS HANDS DIRTY. I’m not going to say “fuck this man” but, you know, identical sentiments. I’m opening my chocolate bar.

- God, Emilie looks more like ET every time I see her. Such an awkward model.

- Oh but wait, Sébastien Thibaudeau was on the script? That does actually give me some hope! Next to Zag himself he’s the only writer on this mess of a show I trust. HE FIXED WAYHEM, CAN HE DO FELIX A SOLID TOO? PLEASE. PLEASE SÉBASTIEN OL BUDDY OL PAL OL FRIENDA MINE

- Does Gabe have anything else to say to his wife other than monologuing his Miraculous plan over and over? They say people in comas can still hear things but Emilie’s probably double unconscious from how boring her husband is.

- DON’T LIKE THAT KNIFE SOUND EFFECT FROM THOSE RINGS. Am I supposed to find it sweet that Gabe’s taking such good care of their wedding bands or is he about to use them for evil? Also where’s Felix.

- ADRIEN SWEETHEART. I maintain that it’s weird to have a statue of your wife/mother/self in your own garden but it kills me that he’s just sitting there in front of it like a lost kitten.

- “Of course, someone will get you right away.” IS THAT FELIX. WAS SHE ON THE PHONE TO FELIX. WHERE’S MY SON, NATHALIE HAVE YOU SEEN MY SON

- That wide-eyed look Adrien turns up towards the window is killing me even more. I’M SO SAD. I see he also hasn’t noticed he’s sitting in the middle of a giant butterfly circle, unless he’s so used to it being Gabe’s logo that he’s just not paying it any mind. When was this all built? Has Gabe always used a butterfly motif even before he got his Miraculous and it was just a great coincidence, or did he commission this whole garden area after Emilie went missing? I guess you could pass it off as eccentricity but in the real world that would be a HUGE red flag that Gabe murdered her. I dunno man.

- DON’T WAVE AT HIM LIKE THAT, NATHALIE. YOU RATTED HIM OUT IN 5 SECONDS IN THAT THEORETICAL FUTURE WHERE YOU DISCOVERED HE WAS CHAT NOIR. YOU DON’T CARE ABOUT THIS BOY. >:V

- “It’s been one year.” HAS IT? Hasn’t Adrien been at school for at least a year now? Didn’t his mom vanish two years prior to that?! Maybe she’s talking about how long Gabe has been fighting Ladybug and Chat Noir but knowing this show’s messy timeline it could be anything. WHERE’S FELIX.

- That’s the song from Chat Blanc! Was that something his mom taught him? OH NO, I’M EVEN SADDER NOW. This is what I mean about Sébastien’s writing, we’d never get this kind of focus on Adrien from Garbage Man Astruc. This kind of character exploration does wonders for ML whenever it’s brought up so I hope this is consistent.

- SHIT, GABRIEL’S OUT OF THE HOUSE. SOMETHING’S WRONG. THOSE EXPENSIVE LEATHER SHOES HAVEN’T TOUCHED ACTUAL GROUND IN YEARS. ADRIEN GET OUT OF THERE.

- I do like that Adrien doesn’t get up when his dad comes to stand right next to him like that. It’s just informal enough. He’s waiting for Gabe to make the first move this time and that’s nice development considering how stiff and cold their relationship was in S1.

- OOOOH GABE THAT’S AN AWKWARD CROUCH. Any lower down and his back is going to go. He’ll be stuck there. I do LOVE that he’s trying though, I don’t even know what he’s going to say to Adrien but this is already SO good.

- “There’s something important I have to talk to you about.” Finally time for The Talk, huh.

- GABE PLEASE. ADRIEN’S WAY TOO CHIRPY TO HAVE ACTUALLY CAUGHT ON TO WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO SAY. HE THINKS YOU’RE TRYING TO SAY YOU LOVE HIM OR SOMETHING ELSE RIDICULOUS

- “I’ve noticed how close you and Nathalie have become!” CLOSE ENOUGH. Still in the ballpark of Adrien thinking his dad has real human feelings! 

- “HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY THINK SUCH A THING??” I GENUINELY LAUGHED OUT LOUD AT HOW ANGRY GABE WAS ABOUT THAT. I’m not sure what to think of the “Nathalie replacing Emilie when Emilie’s technically still alive” plot either but GABE’S DECIDED FOR ME. Also good job yelling in your son’s face when you were JUST having a moment, good luck getting back up off your knees in order to storm away, old man.

- Oh alright, he did get up, but it was with a strange angry bow-legged prance. I think he still had trouble.

- I love the way Adrien just kinda wide-eye-blinks at him, like Gabe’s emotional outburst is going totally over his head. He’s been dealing with akuma FAR too long to be bothered by this.

- Guests, plural? I’m guessing Felix is one of them but is he with someone else? That makes sense given he’s (as far as I’ve gathered) the same age as Adrien so he wouldn’t be running around far from home unchaperoned, but OHHH this is so interesting.

- So they ARE claiming it’s been one year since Emilie vanished! This just doesn’t work as a Season 3 episode, especially with Nathalie and Gabe’s romantic development being as far along as it is. Emilie’s been gone for at LEAST three years by this point! Read your show bible once in a while you horrible garbage man!!! Also ADRIEN SWEETHEART THAT’S A LITTLE PREMATURE. You can say “went away forever” when you’re three years into her disappearance, the anniversary of one year really isn’t long enough to claim she’s never coming back!

- OH NO, IT’S THE GIRLS. I’m already bored. Unless Luka is here I really just do not care what they’re all up to. I haven’t missed Marinette at ALL in the first two-and-a-half minutes and I don’t want to see her now. WHERE’S FELIX.

- I’m sorry, how are Lila, Chloé AND Kagami all on a video call together without any blood being drawn? Also for god’s sake PLEASE leave Adrien alone, you want to ask first if he’d LIKE some company or if he’d prefer a quiet personal day to think about his mom? OF COURSE NOT MARINETTE, YOU WOULDN’T WOULD YOU. 

- Okay, a video message is definitely a better idea than trying to break into his house AGAIN. At least then he can watch it whenever he feels up to it. The first good, safe, noninvasive idea Mari’s had for SEVERAL episodes when it comes to Adrien.

- I’M REALLY TORN WHEN IT COMES TO THE ENGLISH DUB. On one hand I hate how little screentime Nino has when he’s not just being Alya’s fashion accessory, but on the other hand I’m so glad they switched scenes the moment Nino started his video because I CANNOT handle his dub voice. Nino just deserves better in general really.

- HE WAS CRYING. MY BOY WAS CRYING AGAIN. I’M NOT COOL WITH THIS. IT’S NOT ABOVE YOUR PAYGRADE TO GIVE HIM A HUG, NATHALIE.

- ALRIGHT HI ELSA. IS THIS HIS AUNT? THAT’S SPOOKY. 

- Her name is Amelie? So their parents had twins and named them Amelie and Emilie, and they turned out the same right down to the over-the-shoulder Dead Anime Mom hairstyles? That’s lazy parenting down to a tee, can’t mix your twins up if you never have to learn the difference between them in the first place! But that���s INTERESTING that Felix is (I assume, still haven’t seen him yet) from Emilie’s side of the family, I’ve always had the impression he was a petit Gabriel.

- OHHH THAT’S MY BOY! I CAN SEE MY BOY IN THE DOORWAY!!! OH MY GOD GIVE HIM TO ME. GIVE ME FELIX. GIVE ME MY SON.

- ADRIEN IMMEDIATELY JUMPING ON HIM IN A HUG IS ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. WHILE FELIX’S HAND IS STILL OUTSTRETCHED FOR A HANDSHAKE. I know this episode is going to go downhill because there’s no way it won’t, but this one single moment is EVERYTHING I WANTED. I should just close the tab now and leave it at this, I really should.

- “Do you remember when they used to have so much fun pretending to be each other? Once they had you and Emilie fooled for a whole weekend!” WHERE HAS THIS BEEN FOR MY ENTIRE ORDEAL GETTING THROUGH THIS SERIES. I don’t even care if this Felix is a stone cold bitch, it’s enough to know he and Adrien were besties when they were kids and Adrien still wanted to hug him the second he walked through the door. AMAZING.

- “I WON’T BE FOOLED A SECOND TIME.” WHAT DOES THAT MEAN, GABE. THEY WERE PROBABLY TODDLERS. ARE YOU JUST SO USED TO GETTING YOUR ASS HANDED TO YOU BY CHILDREN THAT YOU’RE SUSPICIOUS OF EVERY SINGLE ONE NOW

- Aww, Felix is American (dubbed, anyway). I was really hoping he’d be British with all the references to London over the last season. He does have a nice voice though! I can tell he shares Adrien’s actor but he’s got the softness I’d have expected from his character. There’s kind of an interesting look about his face though, I wish they’d tweaked it a bit to give him a sharper look but I guess he IS like 14, he can afford to still have a bit of baby-cheeked roundness. I’m going to find the positives in every part of this because I will NOT give Garbage Man Astruc the satisfaction of being disappointed like I know he wants me to be. It’s been a fucking war from the moment I saw his name in the writing credits and my best weapon is being pleased about everything in this episode.

- Okay, he looks a little better in the following closeup where his eyes are slightly narrowed. I think it’s the slightly-below-the-chin angle which doesn’t really work for his character model with his soft cheeks and high collar. FELIX IS A BABY.

- WHY WILL NOBODY SHAKE HIS HAND. Adrien hugged him instead and Gabe is ignoring him completely, Felix is clearly so perplexed and I love it. He’s fourteen! He’s fourteen and doing his best with social graces but NOBODY WILL HELP HIM.

- “Felix, you know your uncle’s never been the physical sort!” HE KICKED HIS OWN SON RIGHT ACROSS PARIS IN THE LAST EPISODE BUT SURE, IF YOU SAY SO.

- “Oh, how sweet! You’re still wearing your wedding band!” YEAH? IT’S BEEN LIKE A YEAR?? Again this would make more sense if it had been around three years like we KNOW Emilie’s been gone for, but picking someone out for still wearing their ring after 12 months?! And why isn’t Amelie more emotional about this anyway, isn’t it her sister who’s missing? I wouldn’t be poking fun at MY sister’s husband for keeping his ring if SHE went missing. No wonder Felix seems like he turned out weird.

- I CAN’T MAKE OUT THE NAME OF HER BRANCH OF THE FAMILY AND IT’S KILLING ME. SOMEONE LET ME KNOW WHAT THAT WAS. Graham de Vanily? I can’t place the words. I mean I’m going to keep calling Felix “Agreste” no matter what but I’d like to know what canon is trying to get at.

- “It’s been a long journey from London” I KNEW IT, I FFFFFFFFFUCKING KNEW IT. SO THEY ARE BRITISH?! BUT THEY HAVE AMERICAN ACCENTS?! I mean I guess they’re French first and foremost, but what the fuck is with the American accents if you’re making a POINT about them being from London?! I can’t wait for the French audio to be released, I really want to know what Felix sounds like there. Regardless AAAH MY SON IS FROM MY CITY, I’M SO PLEASED.

- “TakeFelixtoyourbedroom.” EASY GABE THEY JUST MET, ALSO THEY’RE COUSINS

- Poor Felix looks so depressed being saddled with Adrien. Sweetie it’s okay, think positive! You could be stuck with Marinette and THAT would be a true nightmare.

- Now why does Felix keep glancing at Gabe? Is there something going on there? Is he suspicious about what happened to his aunt? I can’t imagine he knows anything about the Miraculous so what’s the deal here?

- UuuuuUUUUGH we’re back with the rest of the gang. I’M NOT INTERESTED, SHOW ME MORE FELIX.

- “Help me Tikki! What would you tell a Kwami friend who’s lost their mom?!” You’re talking to a 5000-year-old demigoddess, Mari, I don’t think she’s gonna relate.

- MARI YOU CAN’T CONFESS TO ADRIEN. NOT AFTER CHAT BLANC. GABE WILL LOSE ALL HIS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT TO WRECK THE LOVE SQUARE AND ALSO THE MOON’S GOING TO EXPLODE. WHY ISN’T BUNNIX HERE TO SLAP THE TABLET OUT OF YOUR HANDS

- Should Tikki really be encouraging this?! I have no idea where in the timeline this is supposed to be. Maybe this is at a stage where she doesn’t know Adrien is Plagg’s chosen so there’s no reason to steer Marinette away from bonding with him. Or maybe every episode just plays by its own rules and there’s really no such thing as continuity in this series. I want to see Felix again.

- YANKING AT AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE ON THE OUTER EDGE OF A BOAT ISN’T GOING TO END WELL. DON’T. I do love how :D Alya is about it though, if nothing else I love what a supportive friend she is.

- Oh, the tablet didn’t go into the water! I’m genuinely surprised by that. Though I imagine Felix is going to fuck things up in some way so he’ll probably be the one to destroy the video somehow. We all know the relationship development isn’t allowed to move forward so SOMETHING’S going to happen to it.

- Thank god we’re back to the mansion. I’m surprised and pleased that (for now at least) we’re only getting the girls in small doses and the plot is mainly focused around the Agrestes. Gorizilla is my favourite episode to date and it did a similar thing with allowing Marinette to be a side character for once along an Adrien-centric plotline, so hopefully this episode will be similar. I’m liking its odds so far but who knows what Horrible Garbage Man Astruc has up his sleeve.

- “I’m really sorry I didn’t come to your dad’s funeral.” I’M SORRY WHAT? PARDON ME? THAT’S AN ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM I DIDN’T EXPECT. As a side note I love Felix being killer at basketball for some reason, he doesn’t look like the athletic type at ALL but he still made that net over his shoulder without even LOOKING. Goddamn. Can everyone please appreciate how cool my son is!!!

- “My father thought it would be too hard on me, considering everything that’s happened this year.” So Felix lost his dad VERY RECENTLY. OUCH. DON’T LIKE THAT. Or I DO like that because it’s already giving his character some extra depth when we’re still only just getting to know him, but on an emotional level I don’t like that. 

- “He’s very... protective of me.” CHAT BLANC REALLY WAS A HOT MESS OF AN EPISODE WASN’T IT. 

- Now Felix is giving Adrien a hug?! I didn’t see that one coming. My canon Felix would mean it but I don’t quite trust this new Felix yet, he’s probably up to something.

- WHAT A JARRING PIANO TRANSITION. Also why?! What does he have to gain from swiping Adrien’s phone? He’s probably got a terrible roaming plan on his own mobile, that’s always my problem when I go to France. If you truly loved your cousin you’d let him browse Reddit on your phone, Adrien. This is worse than not coming to his dad’s funeral.

- PLAGG KNOWS SOMETHING’S UP. He ought to, in another life he and Felix are STILL dealing with each other.

- Okay I take back what I said about Felix’s voice. Bryce Whatshisface isn’t doing a very good job separating the tones. I can buy that Adrien and Felix sound very similar but their delivery should be completely different! I really do want to watch this in French, I get the feeling it’ll sound much better.

- AH YES, HERE WE GO. I’m getting the feeling this is Garbage Man’s part of the episode. Squished cheese aside, I do like the implication Felix does (or did) card magic and karate. I’m thinking of that Mickey Mouse episode where he vanishes Donald’s car keys with a hand trick except it’s Felix vanishing Marinette’s phone when she’s about to text Adrien or something. I’ve got to draw that.

- “Mind if I take a shower?” WHY, FELIX. I mean I’d probably want to shower too after the London-Paris commute (and I’m sure he’s only going in there to wreak havoc, put food colouring in Adrien’s shampoo bottles or something) but what a weird time to ask!

- I mean Plagg has a point about difficult home situations not justifying bad behaviour (and I feel like that’s not what’s going on, with how he was glaring at Gabe I think he’s behaving like this for some other reason), but Felix’s dad LITERALLY DIED. Like they had a funeral and everything. Emilie is just “missing”. They’re SIMILAR but that’s still a false equivalence because Adrien’s got hope to hold on to and Felix doesn’t.

- So we’re not going to talk about how Felix got into Adrien’s passcode-protected phone? I guess he could have done the fogging-up-the-screen trick from Oblivio. Standing around in a steamy bathroom in three layers of clothing is a great way to sweat yourself out and ruin your hair though, way to get even more gross than a five-hour commute between countries.

- “Of course that idiot has a crush on a superhero!” EASY THERE, MR HOWLING-ON-A-ROOFTOP-BECAUSE-HE-SAW-THE-GIRL-HE-LIKED. WE’VE ALL SEEN THE PV.

- I’ve just noticed Felix has a ring too! I don’t know how I missed that before this scene! That’s NICE. He’s still not allowed to have it on his middle finger (LET HIM SWEAR) but that’s a nod back to Chat Noir which I really appreciate!

- ROSE HAS BEEN ON THE HELIUM. SOMETHING’S NOT RIGHT THERE.

- FELIX KNOWS CHLOÉ! THAT’S NICE, THAT’S GOOD. I LIKE THAT. That’s also a really nice little video from her, I love the few small moments we’ve had that affirm she and Adrien really ARE friends, whether she wants to date him or not. 

- OOOH HE DELETED THE VIDEOS. I’m curious about him borrowing Adrien’s clothes too, are they going to dress the same? You’d think Adrien wouldn’t give someone an exact copy of the outfit he’s currently wearing but I genuinely don’t know if he owns anything different. I hope they don’t just use two Adrien models for the rest of the episode, please let me see Felix properly :/

- WHY. HONESTLY, WHY. CAN I PLEASE GET AN EXPLANATION FOR WHY FELIX IS DOING THIS.

- OOOH MARI YOU’RE NOT GONNA LIKE THIS. I can imagine Felix is going to say something nasty and that’ll set the girls off and bring about the akuma of the week. I’m mildly entertained but I’m still not engaged with this idea without any proper explanation. We’d better get something by the end of the episode which justifies what’s made Felix do this, because “he’s just evil lol” would be a reeeeally low move from Garbage Man Astruc. 

- MARI SWEETIE. YOU’VE GOTTA LEARN TO CHECK A ROOM IS EMPTY BEFORE YOU RUN INSIDE AND START FREAKING OUT VERY LOUDLY. LUKA’S HEARD ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING. 

- Luka is such a nice character. Why does he get to be so high quality when Felix has been turned into a cheese-smashing phone-stealing gremlin? I mean I KNOW why, but I’d like to think the showwriters are better than this. They’re not, but I’d like to think they are.

- WHAT A VIDEO MESSAGE. I love how Luka’s just sitting there grimacing while Mari speeds off into battle, he doesn’t know what she’s about to do but he knows better than to try stopping her.

- Back with Gabe and Nathalie. Is this what was being foreshadowed when Gabe claimed he wouldn’t be fooled by the boys’ identity switch twice? Is he GOING to be fooled again or will he be the one person who can tell immediately that this isn’t his son? 

- “FELIX.” WOW, HE REALLY WASN’T FOOLED TWICE. RESPECT. He may have trouble getting up off the ground if he sits down too low but he can at least identify his child in a difficult situation like this, props to Gabe this week.

- “All this disappointment might just help us get rid of our unwanted guests!” SHUT YOUR MOUTH, FELIX IS A DELIGHT. The only unwanted guest here is Astruc on the writing team.

- “Felix... I told you that you couldn’t fool me twice.” Way to blow your identity in five seconds Gabe. I guess he hasn’t sent out the akuma yet so this might just be a personal monologue, but he starts addressing his victims directly so often at this stage that I’m really not sure what they can or can’t hear. SHIT’S RISKY.

- OH OKAY, SO HE’S SENDING THIS TRIPLE AKUMA AFTER FELIX? AND/OR ADRIEN, DEPENDING ON HOW HARD IT IS TO TELL THEM APART? I guess that’s what he means by getting rid of their guests, if the house is attacked by a monster (or monsters?) they aren’t going to want to stick around, but I REALLY HOPE YOU’RE TAKING ADRIEN’S WELLBEING INTO ACCOUNT HERE GABE OL BUDDY :/

- “TIKKI, SPOTS ON! MNUURGH” ME TOO MARINETTE. I’M REALLY ONLY 12 MINUTES INTO THIS.

- I’m gonna be honest, I’m not really interested in the girls. I was hoping for a real triple akuma (like Oblivio was apparently Alya and Nino together) but they’re all just villains we’ve seen before. There’s stuff I could comment on here but I just want to see more of Felix, that’s what I’m here for.

- “Nathalie, get Adrien to a safe place far from his cousin!” YOU’RE REALLY JUST GONNA SACRIFICE FELIX LIKE THIS. I guess that makes sense, I WAS complaining during Chat Blanc that Adrien is Gabriel’s weak point, so all things considered I’m not surprised that he’ll protect Adrien but just flat-out wants Felix dead. Fair enough.

- WOW. I THOUGHT ADRIEN WAS GOING TO BE HEROIC AND DEFEND FELIX BUT HE WANTS HIM DEAD TOO. Or was that a double bluff to make the akuma think he MUST be Felix so he can lead them away and keep his cousin safe? He’s just run off with a wild cackle so I’m thinking it’s the latter. HE’S A GOOD BOY AND A TRUE HERO.

- I also find it kind of funny how Nathalie will jump in harm’s way to defend him when there have been INNUMERABLE other episodes of Gabe just setting an akuma directly on Adrien for the hell of it. Maybe because there isn’t really any ‘harm’ here to start with; the three girls’ powers are probably the least violent of all the akuma we’ve seen so far.

- AM I REALLY ABOUT TO SEE FELIX DRESSED AS ADRIEN DOING KARATE. I HOPE HE’S GOOD AT IT.

- OH MY GOD HE IS GOOD AT IT. That’s cool! I was expecting him to totally flop considering how badly his imposter trick went down a few minutes ago, but it’s nice to see he’s as capable at fighting as he is at basketball. When do I get to see his magic card tricks?

- YEAH I FEEL THE SAME PLAGG. WHAT’S EVEN HAPPENING. Not that I think Adrien shouldn’t save Felix, I just want to know WHY Felix felt like he had to do this in the first place! I feel like “can I PLEASE get a waffle” except instead of watching the employees fight I’m watching this episode careening away with no pauses to explain what’s going on.

- FELIX C’MON. STOP CAUSING PROBLEMS ON PURPOSE. I can tell Garbage Man Astruc still has the reins here because causing even MORE trouble even AFTER Adrien saved his ass is a completely illogical course of action. PUT SÉBASTIEN BACK IN THE WRITERS CHAIR.

- “WHICH PART OF THE WORD ‘NO’ DID YOU NOT UNDERSTAND?!” Oh perfect, great, can’t let this episode end without accusing Felix of not respecting consent! That’s a hot button issue and if Garbage Man Astruc can get him on that bandwagon then fans HAVE to hate this character! Great move! Fucking pillock!

- WOW CHAT THAT’S MEAN. I guess accusing Felix of having no friends is justified in the context of the episode but yikes :(

- Was that a flash of humiliation from Felix there? God will one of the writers PLEASE save this character, PLEASE don’t let this episode end without someone getting him out of the Garbage Man’s big meaty claws.

- Excuse me WHAT? Felix is talking directly to Papillon?! So he knows about all the Miraculous stuff?! Oh NO, is this about getting his dad back? I don’t know whether the One Wish is common knowledge (I don’t think it is?) but maybe Felix put the pieces together on his own back home, so all his behaviour here has been trying to incite an akuma that he can take advantage of to appeal to Papillon?! Or he could just be a bitch all on his own, which is probably what the Garbage Man would prefer, but this makes a lot of sense all of a sudden.

- BRO HE NEARLY DIED. BRO. BROOO.

- “I hope you’ve learned your lesson!” YOU’RE NOT EVEN GONNA ASK ABOUT THE PAPILLON THING? YOU CAN’T JUST TREAT THIS AS A REGULAR DISTURBANCE, FELIX KNOWS SHIT ABOUT THE MIRACULOUS YOU GUYS--

- FELIX’S MOM IS REALLY GOING TO BLAME HIS DEAD DAD FOR THIS? HARD YIKES. NO WONDER FELIX IS WEIRD.

- I’m expecting this isn’t over, because Felix still clearly wants something specific that he didn’t get, but I’ll take this cute hug for what it is. He didn’t have an evil expression behind Adrien’s back this time either and the music is all soft and nice, plus he FINALLY got a handshake from Gabe, but I absolutely do NOT imagine this episode will end without getting an extra shot in at the PV fans somehow. We’re not getting off this easy.

- Why doesn’t Gabriel want Adrien to go after Felix? Is he scared he’ll try to run off, or ask them to stay longer when he really wants to get rid of them?

- AHAHA FELIX STOLE GABE’S RING. WHAT A BRAT. Was that the “jewelry” he mentioned wanting in return for helping Papillon? I figured it was a Miraculous thing but maybe not.

- OHHH, look how much Felix loves his mom! This is such a sweet scene. I particularly like the idea that Amelie was trying to get the rings back to give one to Felix because the way she was speaking to Gabe made it sound like she wanted them Just Because. But you can’t mention some wild story connected to the rings and then not explain it! I want to know what that is, I want to know why Felix is so fascinated with it!!!

- ALSO, FELIX GETTING A BIG KISS RIGHT ON THE FOREHEAD. EXCELLENT. I’ll fucking BET this is another scene Sébastien sneaked in because it’s such an emotional quality shift from the whole clone mess. Like what the fuck even WAS that.

- Yep, Felix is still evil! WHY THOUGH. WHAT’S GOING ON. CAN I PLEASE GET A WAFFLE

- I was expecting a worse ending, but “Felix can’t ever come back to Paris because Gabriel will kill him with his bare hands if he does” is decent enough. If there’s no further confirmation (and NO, anything Garbage Man Astruc tweets later on does NOT fucking count so don’t try me) I’m going to take it that he WAS actually sorry for what he did to Adrien. That’s better than nothing.

.

.

WELL THAT WAS AN EPISODE. That actually wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be - it could have been a lot better but it could have been a lot worse too. The beginning and end were nice enough even if the middle part was Garbage Man Astruc’s usual atrocious mess of self-service, though I do particularly despise the hamfisted consent issue shoved in there just to generate extra reasons to hate the character. WE GET IT, YOU DON’T LIKE FELIX. OFF YOU FUCK. 

I’ve slept on this next paragraph to give myself time to formulate some concrete thoughts about the plot, so... Well, it was a mess, that’s for sure. They spent way too much time establishing how oH sO eViL Felix was and not nearly enough time actually explaining his character. 

Why is he acting out like this? What has he got against Adrien in particular? Is he really sore about Adrien not supporting him at his dad’s funeral or is that just what Adrien thinks is his problem? What was his relationship with his dad before he died? Was his troublemaking all about trying to provoke an akuma and ask Papillon to help him get his family rings back (which he was clearly trying to steal from the moment he walked through the door, only Gabe wouldn’t shake his hand the first time), or was that just a side effect of causing shit for no reason? Did he mean his apology to Adrien at the end? WHAT was the deal with the rings and the story attached to them? There’s a whole interesting story buried in here which just got completely overlooked by the emphasis on how terrible he was and that’s really disappointing. 

I did like his damaged-but-still-good relationship with Adrien though, there’s still hope there and maybe Felix (if he ever shows up again, which I only hope he does if it’s NOT another excuse for Garbage Man Astruc to shit on the PV fandom again, for the love of FUCK don’t give this guy multiple opportunities) will start coming around and making the effort to be a better cousin since Adrien’s given him a second chance. I don’t know. What I liked just as much was Marinette actually barely being in this episode at all, for the first time since Gorizilla she’s ALLOWED to be the supporting character again and that’s GREAT.

I don’t really know what else to say. I’m exhausted. Adrien’s a darling and I think I prefer my Twin AU, though canon Felix being a delightful little gremlin who causes problems-on-purpose is something I can work with in the future too. 

Thanks for coming on this... interesting journey with me! I posted a set of tweets last night which I’ll leave here to finish up:

[marshmallowprotection]

I HAVE FINISHED TURQUOISE’S INFO (her name is now Jessamine)!

Also heres a link to the song “The Last Revolver” by Mothy, though note this is a cover with a newer version of Gumi’s voicebank, and this is also a fanmade PV remake of the original PV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xsdMtgEJEg 

This song is directly responsible for giving me the inspiration to make Jessamine. uwu

Also ignore the weird spacing I made this in google docs originally and apparently it decided to copy paste like that and im too lazy to fix it oof also its kind of long sooo oof.

like…2398 words long ;-;

I suggest you listen to “The Last Revolver” whilst reading this. idk gives mood lol

Name: Jessamine ‘Jess’ Belle 

 Aliases (If Any): Evera (Assassin Name)

 Age: 20 (On Liam’s Death)

24 (Currently)

 Date of Birth/Birthday: Day 31 of Aria’s Star, 2045 T.C. (the equivalent of December 31st)

 Zodiac: Sagittarius 

 Status: Alive

 Species: Human

 Magic:

 Height: 5'0 (152 Centimeters)

 Ethnicity: Mijean

 Relatives: Unnamed Mother✝

Unnamed Father✝

Liam Adelson (Fiance)✝

 Birth Place: Collapsed Kingdom of Mijea, Theda

 Nationality/Current Residence: Mariah Empire, Theda

 Religion (Which Goddess Do they Worship?): None

 Occupation: Assassin Employed By Kiara Malories (Formerly)

Wandering Gunner

 Affiliations: Kiara Malories (Formerly)

Kingdom of Mijea (Formerly)

None

Personality (In Phrases): Uptight, Cold, Adorable (According to Liam), Secretly Really Kind, Just Kind of Quiet, Stubborn, Was Kind of Clingy To Liam Due To Having Literally Nobody Else, Her Parents Died In The Mercenian Invasion of The Kingdom of Mijea In 2062, And She Had Basically No Friends, So Liam Became Her Rock, She’s Still In Mourning, She’s Extremely Suicidal, Pretty Unstable, Has A Temper

 Marital Status: Engaged To Liam Adelson (Formerly)

Single

 Sexuality: Heterosexual

 Likes: Her Revolver, Macarons, Liam, Cherry Blossoms, Hummingbirds, Butterflies, The Color Purple, People Who Don’t Get In Her Way of Revenge

 Dislikes: Spicy Foods, Her Height, Kiara Malories, Mercenians, The State of Mercenia, Killing For No Reason (Developed After Liam’s Death), The Ocean (She Doesn’t Know How To Swim), People Who Do Get In Her Way of Revenge, Anyone Who Tells Her Suicide Doesn’t Solve Anything, Anyone Who Tells Her She Doesn’t Need To Get Revenge, Anyone Who Claims Liam Wouldn’t Want Her To Do [Anything Under The Sun]

 Role: Secondary Character

Debut: Undecided

 Random Facts: 

Her smile is absolutely beautiful to see. However, she hasn’t smiled since her fiance, Liam, died.

She’s one of the last pure Mijeans still alive, as most were slaughtered in the Mercenian Invasion of 2062 T.C. in a genocidal sort of fashion. There are an estimated 500 Mijeans still walking the planet, and likely a lot more half-Mijeans exist than pure Mijeans.

The revolver she currently uses is a very expensive, efficient one that is very rare, which Liam gave to her for her birthday a few hours before she realized she had to kill him. 

Jess is the definition of a person who gets really, adorably mad if you dare mention how short she is. 

Liam was 6'0, a full 12 inches taller than Jess. You can bet that Liam teased her about it constantly. 

Liam often picked up Jess in order to kiss her without hurting his neck. It wasn’t very hard since she’s fairly light. She was a flustered mess about it constantly.

When they first met, Jess didn’t tell Liam her real name on the spot, instead telling him her assassin name, Everina. He called her Ever most of the time, and when she confessed to him, that was when she told him her real name. He still called her Ever sometimes, but usually only if they were (for any reason) in public.

Very rarely, Liam called Jess “Mina”, which was a nickname he alone used for her. He only called her that during extremely personal, special moments (e.g. first kiss, kisses in general, making love, and when Jess had to kill him)

It’s very easy to fluster Jess, usually, just give her a peck on the cheek or her lips, or pick her up, and she’ll get flustered immediately.

Jess’s most sensitive spot is the right side of her neck, like sort of between her neck and shoulder. Liam used this to his advantage ;3

Jess is extremely ticklish on her sides, but nowhere else.

Jess’s favorite season is Spring due to it being when she met Liam, and her least favorite is Winter due to it being the season where she had to kill Liam.

Jess dreads and just plain old hates her birthday as her birthday doubles as the day where she had to kill Liam. 

The only reason Jess hasn’t killed herself yet is that she feels she needs to kill Kiara first as vengeance for Liam. She plans to kill herself immediately afterward.

Jess plans to give Kiara an extremely painful, long death.

Jess is terrifying when she is determined to kill someone. Seriously, don’t get in her way. Else you’ll be killed too.

Jess’s favorite things about Liam according to her was his blue eyes and his dark, maroonish hair. His eyes because to her they were beautiful and she loved staring into them, his hair because it was extremely soft. 

Jess is a total bottom 99% of the time…except one time when Liam let her top.

Liam constantly attempted to make Jess laugh, which was usually successful whether his joke was good or not, most times she laughed because his jokes were just stupid but in a funny way

Liam is 3 years older than Jess, being 22 when they met in 2064 T.C. and 23 when he died in 2065 T.C. as he was born on Day 13 of Ayja’s Star/September 13th, 2042 T.C.

Jess’s situation is a bit similar to Cora Hallow’s, as Jess lost everything she loved and became a wandering gunner, and swore revenge upon the person responsible, where Cora lost her entire family (supposedly) in the fire of Saseraia and swore revenge upon Nymeria believing her to be the one responsible; The fact that actually Jess is descended from a bastard line (descended of a bastard child of one of Cora’s descendants- also can I just say, Cora had one biological child, a daughter, who was conceived using early, experimental artificial insemination technologies and paved the way for refinement of such technologies for same-sex couples- it’s not that important but I wanted to mention it cus why not) of Cora makes it kind of ironic because history is sort of repeating itself in a way. 

The reason Liam was targeted by Kiara was that he found out what Kiara was through overhearing her talking to someone at his police station, and due to that, she wanted him dead because he was also getting in her way by rescuing some of the other people she wanted dead or killing the criminals she wanted to recruit. He was also planning to reveal to the world what she was.

Backstory: Jessamine “Jess” Belle was born the only child of a pair of general store owners in the Kingdom of Mijea on the coldest day of the year. Jess’s childhood is relatively uneventful, until when she was 17 in 2062 T.C., when the State of Mercenia invaded the Kingdom of Mijea, looking to absorb it into its territory as it was falling into chaos anyway. Jess’s parents die helping Jess escape. She flees the country and ends up passing out on the border of the Kingdom of Lavinia, being found by Kiara Malories (who is really just Aya having possessed Nymeria’s body and using the body appearance changing spell that was within Nymeria’s ability pool to make herself look different), who takes her in, on the condition,  however, that Jess becomes an assassin working for her. Having basically no other choice, Jess agrees and is taught how to use a gun by another assassin in Kiara’s employ, as it turns out Kiara had a whole group of assassins and other people working for her for vastly different reasons. Jess begins her work as an assassin for Kiara by killing about 40~ people within the next 2 years (20 per year).

 On the first day of spring (Day 1 of Xomura’s Star/February 1st, Note The Calendar of This World Is Different In Which The Year Starts In April Instead of January And Thus Ends In March) of 2064 T.C. Jess goes to a small hill with a cherry blossom tree on it, which was a spot she loved to go to think about everything. However, that day was different in a significant way: Jess met a tall man with maroon hair and eyes. She indulged him with some idle chatter, telling him her name was Everina when asked. As he talked (and flirted a bit) with her, she learned his name was Liam and that like her, he was one of the survivors of the Mercenian Invasion of 2062, but that he was spared only because he was not Mijean, rather, he was from Aleon, at least, he was born there, but his parents moved to the Kingdom of Mijea when he was young. Jess also learns he is a police officer, and due to that remains cautious of him, always being prepared to kill him in case he ever suddenly turned on her. However, as they continued to meet up together at that cherry blossom tree, Jess steadily began to trust him.

 In Summer (Day 28 of Kaila’s Star/August 28th; Summer Starts On June 20th/Day 20 of Eros’s Star In This World; Also The Year Is Now 2065 T.C. As April Has Passed), Jess was invited by Liam to a “date” according to him, though she chalked it up to him just flirting with her yet again, but accepted the invitation anyway. He took her to a park where together they watched a meteor shower that only happened once every 460 years, and that the last time this meteor shower happened was around when Archbishop Briella, the first archbishop under the new government system and after the Second Great Theda Civil War, was on her death bed. After the meteor shower was over, Liam confessed that he had fallen in love with Jess, and conflicted, Jess asked him to give her some time to think. After a few days of thinking, Jess realized she had fallen for Liam as well, and asked him to meet her under the same cherry blossom tree that had met at originally, and when they both arrived, she confessed to him that she had fallen in love with him as well. She also told him that she had lied to him about her name, as she didn’t trust him originally, and revealed to him her real name was Jessamine or Jess for short. Liam, overwhelmed with joy, picked her up and kissed her, calling her “Mina” for the first time, and over time it evolved into a special nickname that only he was allowed to call her. Liam also laughed when he saw Jess’s extremely flustered face after he kissed her.

 In Autumn, Jess and Liam’s relationship truly blossomed, and mid-way through the season, they made love for the first time. And, mid-way through the last month of the season, Harmonia’s Star, Liam proposed to her, and Jess accepted. However, near the end of the season, Jess learned her next target was a man named Liam Adelson. While she was distressed at first at seeing the name “Liam”, she calmed herself by telling herself that the Liam she was engaged to and Liam Adelson must be different people- but deep inside there was a feeling of dread that told her that the two Liams were the same person.

 In Winter, Jess asked Liam what his last name was, and he said he’d tell her if she told him hers, and she agreed. He revealed that his last name was Adelson, and in shock, she slowly said her last name was Belle before collapsing onto her knees, breaking into tears. Liam asked what was wrong but she fled not even a minute later. For the next month, she avoided Liam as much as possible, but eventually, he found her back at the cherry blossom tree they met at together all the time in mid Aria’s Star (December). Jess revealed that she was actually an assassin and that all the murders that had been happening had been her and her colleagues working. She told him she didn’t have a choice because she had nowhere else to go. She had been lying to her colleagues that she hadn’t been able to find him anywhere and that’s what it was taking so long to kill him because she desperately didn’t want to kill him. Before Liam could say another word Jess fled once again. On the 31st of Aria’s Star (December 31st), Liam got Jess a gift: a very rare, very efficient revolver, having known she had a fascination with revolvers and had planned to buy herself one. While she had originally claimed she was going to use it for self-defense, Liam knew she was likely using it to kill people. Liam managed to find Jess under the cherry blossom tree yet again, presented to her his gift. When she asked why he had gotten her a revolver, Liam told her to kill him with it. It was made to kill people as quickly as possible. He had even gotten her bullets. He told her that he didn’t want her to lose her home, or neglect what she had to do. In tears, Jess told him she didn’t want to kill him and even suggested they just run away, but Liam told her that there were others after him and that he would likely die anyway, so if he was going to die, he wanted it to be by her hand. Before Jess could say another word he picked her up and kissed her. When he finally broke the kiss, he quickly grabbed Jess’s revolver, knowing she would be unable to gain the courage to shoot him, and shot himself for her, his last words being “I love you, Mina.”

 That day, Jess ran away from Kiara and swore revenge against her. 

And to this day, in the year 2070 T.C., she still looks to do that, waiting for the day she can kill Kiara and then kill herself so she can be reunited with Liam. 

— Submission

Ah, yes, holding the gun that tilts the fate of the universe. Gumi songs always tend to have a really specific note to them and this one assuredly is wild and a lot to take in when you listen to it in the context of the Villainious series. Glad to see it play out, though. I think there’s something bittersweet about how she was forced to do this, but her love stopped her from having to stain her hands with his blood. Him taking the shot himself implies that he loves her enough to die for her if he must. 

It’s upsetting that there was no way out. But, pain and grief in stories like this provide an arc for a character to follow and deal with, and perhaps her story will not entirely end in misery, but peace and resolution of the fate that she’s been dealt and what it means to be okay with where you’re heading and what you’ve been forced through. 

[hungnitan]

ACT 10 FULL SUMMARY SPOILER

Read at your own risk + it’s good breather while waiting for Yaycupcake translation team lol

- Continuing the previous act, Reni explained for why he took care of Kusumi despite he doesn’t produce any script for GOD-za. It explicitly explained that Madoka started as ghostwriter around act 1, so GOD-za script before that... it’s Reni magic lol

- Mankai celebrating their victory in timeact WITH GOD-ZA ! Madoka and Misumi made up nicely, ShifutoHaruto-Mankai bonding time, and... Reni has joined the party ! PS : I love Shifuto-Sakoda Sakyo time there

- Reni portrait explained around the time he meet Hakkaku for last time, Hakkaku gave him his last script (to protected it from Kusumi’s plagiarism) and hope that his designed cast will play it someday. Reni tell him it’s impossible to do at that time since Reni still in tight with Mankai Co and Yukio diseappearance The cast are Reni, Yuzo and old leaders with Hiro as lead actor plus Yukio as director

- We have Yuzo portrait too ! He explained that Yukio still alive somewhere overseas and can’t comeback to Veludo bc certain circumstances and their script got plagiarism in Fleur award play by Kusumi (yeah again), while Hakkaku can’t let that annouced that’s why Yukio disappeared and tell Mankai not to participate in fleur award play

- Old Mankai leaders portaits ! Mostly same as prologue, added some dialogue + tell their old Mankai time Comment : Woah, I disgust myself for even doubt Syu loyalty to Mankai now, he’s second most loyal to Mankai (first is Hiro)

- Timeact with Old Mankai team ! Well, it’s just Yuzo reasoning to used Hakkaku last script and Hiro terribly want to act in Mankai theater. The theme is Genpei War as Hakkaku script wrote For timeact prizes, Yuzo want Juza for his workshop, Hiro want Mankai’s flag, Zen want Kamekichi for his show restaurant, Syu would stop paying their dorm bill, Reni want old Mankai tape  Comment : You remember MatsukawaSakyo once said about dorm bill in season 1 prologue and we all thought it included in Mankai debt isn’t. In the end the one who pay is him bc he want to protected that place until Yukio comeback again

- For Old Mankai reunited play, the only problem need to solve is Kasumi. He pretty disheartening to do act again (for Yukio, Reni contacted him + trying to make up) The one who convinced Kasumi to joined the play is SAKUYA.

- LOVED every scene Old Mankai leaders talked about Kid Sakyo lol

- Syu just Hakkaku oshi with tsundere great grandpa traits , Zen helped Tenma recovered his confidence, Hiro jealous to Tenma bc his kid is Tenma fans, Kasumi become Sakuya oshi

- While ACT 9 play mostly smooth, ACT 10 had a high hurdle. Tenma just get his assed kick with Hiro, Tsuzuru with Syu, Masumi and Kumon can’t get a grasp with his character. Comment : it’s good thing, we saw Harugumi Natsugumi bonding... Every members play a great part despite didn’t appear in this play

- New Mankai cast : Tenma after heard that Hiro is Old Mankai lead actor, Tsuzuru after get harsh comment about his acting by Syu, Misumi want to show his act to his father and Madoka, Masumi as always want to show his best to director while the other two...just SpringSummer members remaining member suits the play (other unchoosen HaruNatsu members scared after think dorm bill in stakes lol)

- Despite old Mankai Co sudden break up, everyone already think their own ways like Kasumi confidence to act get lower to the point he want to quit, Yuzo planned to leave company after Fleur award to do his own theater like Reni, Zen think to open his own show restaurant but just can’t made up his mind until Yukio leave

- Timeact Old vs New is live streaming ! Since most old members + Tenma name are big enough to made Mankai theater overload in no time...

- Old Mankai sad play !!! Since their VA mostly veteran, so the play really transmitted painfully good. I would love to see their play again someday

Syu really manly in that play ! and look at the beautifulness of Juli woman role~ lol

- We’re all know who’s winner, so they received prizes from old leaders. HAKKAKU UNFINISHED SCRIPT “MANKAI KOUEN” (Mankai Show) with all old member as cast in mind ! Yup, everyone. So with the script in new Mankai now, means we gonna see 24 MEMBERS IN ONE PLAY TOGETHER SOMEDAY ! (my best guess will be their Fleur award though still long long way to go)

- Finally our mc contacted by his father !!!

- FINAL BOSS APPEARED AT LAST. still unknown name and sprite but his VA is Miyamoto Mitsuru (expert handling antagonist characters lol)

- In the end, old leaders joined the party !

- Possible scene at later ACT : Final boss will make his move, Zen Omi talked about Nachi, detail reason Yukio and Hakkaku got treatened

Means we gonna get another spoiler, PV and prologue in month

PLAY : Moreless as I expected except it’s really full of comedy and happy end. I even forgot they acted Yoshitsune play sometimes. While as always Misumi different personality amaze me but I didn’t think Masumi can take cheerful younger brother tsukkomi role... plus wow I didn’t expect Chikage as Yoritomo (he’s true beauty there lol)

SONG : It’s morelike Kikyo no Hana type, but tbh I don’t really like it...it can’t be helped since it’s warring state song 

OVERALL PLAY : I guess it’s their own way to balancing the ACT story, since Old Mankai into sad tragedy play (yeah, old Mankai MUST sad one, since it’s their reunion play). Overall, it’s good way to tell Yoshitsune in different side of story~

CG EXPLANATION :

Hiro and Tenma checking their drama scene together, fyi there’s unseen spark between them (lol)

Masumi Misumi bonding for Masumi character role building. Since he don’t know younger brother feels like, he asked Misumi as he had Madoka. In the end, Misumi asked Masumi to fold paper plane together (PS : I really love the cheerfulness from this CG aside it’s just normal scene)

Sakuya try convinced Kasumi to join the timeact. After doing etude and talked about past together, Kasumi finally agreed to joined and he crying there (if you can see it)

Zahra cafe finally open ! Everyone + old members gathering there after timeact. It’s good they use that place as CG since onward it use as gathering place

My personal comment : I enjoyed ACT 9 more overall. Some episode in ACT 10 pretty boring to me (after celebrating timeact victory with GOD-za and before old Mankai announced timeact). Even ACT 9 play and song better than this, but yeah old mankai team banter really good~

So with ACT 3 1/2 Ever lasting finished and gone into 2/2 Full Blooming, we only had Sakuya Itaru Citron (Haru), Yuki Muku Kazu (Natsu), Banri Juza Sakyo (Aki) and Hisoka Homare Azuma (Fuyu).

If we used 1/2 patterns, it definitely sure the next one is Banri team with AkiNatsu team and last is Sakuya team with HaruFuyu team

Well, BanriKazu or BanriYuki will be funny in many ways but BanriMuku too if they use Muku as woman role will be great (lately Muku keep getting female role). For Sakuya... I don’t think anyone will be great chemistry to him but I would love to see SakuyaAzuma or SakuyaHisoka

[freewheelshippin]

FIC: “What Do I Call You?”

There was something so honest about how she hyped the crowd, leaned so forward she seemed like she might leap into a crowdwalk, pointing at her ear until the whole crowd bellowed in their own guttoral harmony. And she smiled so much at her crewmates -- Ranmaru realized he was smiling, too, while she played guitar and accompanied the others’ solos, only breaking from her deep sway with the music to look at them with brightness and joy in her eyes. 

In those moments, Ranmaru understood something he hadn’t before, but it also made him realize that the hunger in him wasn’t being sated so much as it was deepening. 

So! I had some fun writing for the roleswap AU, where I’m the punk rock idol and Ranmaru’s the freelance artist getting some juice from all the love and music.

Not much by ways of content warnings -- lots of eating, a fair amount of alcohol, too, and you know, we utter the word ‘fuck’ a few times.  

Ranmaru swore as he dropped the case on his toe. He could tell immediately that this was one of those jammed toes that would hurt for days from the bruising, especially when he still had half of the city to cross before he could get back home. And what was home? His shithole apartment and limping around while he went on his rounds for the local cats? 

At least the train was empty enough he could sit alone, even comfortably with all his equipment. He was still cross that the live house didn’t have it themselves. Weren’t they professionals? Stupid. The show had sucked, too, with the band spending more time fucking around then putting on the damn show they were paid for, that their fans came out to see, that Ranmaru had put such care into getting the tech just right to enhance. And that one jackass trying to throw hands with anyone in the crowd. Nobody on staff did a fucking thing to kick him out until Ranmaru dragged him out himself, and now he had a black eye and the stink of shitty beer and stale cigarette smoke hanging on him to show for it.

Thirty minutes ‘til his stop. He could listen to some music to smooth over this shitty...everything. He slipped his headphones on, ready to mute the rest of the world and stop anyone from entering his. 

Reiji (12:42 AM) : Iiiiiiiiiit’s dropped!!!!!

What, your balls, Ranmaru thought ruefully to himself, unconsciously clicking his tongue in annoyance. He moved his finger to swipe and mute him for … a week, maybe, from how shitty he was feeling right now, but Reiji was too fast. The link appeared, and Ranmaru hit it, if only to have something concrete to be annoyed with him for. 

It was a preview for a new PV. That’s right. It was technically tomorrow already, the day this content was due, but this was still early. Reiji must have found a leak. Lucky he was such an otaku, Ranmaru never had to go hunting for sketchy files or talk with weirdos he knew he wouldn’t be able to level with outside of the crowd. There was a long windup before the music even started playing, the visuals building dramatic lighting and obscuring anything but their silhouettes, but there was the low fuzz of an amp before it all hit at once. 

Ranmaru didn’t want to admit that his eyes darted right to that flash of turquoise as the lights came up in the PV, because it would mean that he might’ve smiled at just the sight of her. No, it had to be the sound. That clean, driving guitar, that strong bass, it felt like Deep Purple and Iron Maiden, but pushed to be danceable and idol-friendly with synth and a digital drumkit beat Ranmaru could vaguely recognize parts of.  

His toe and face didn’t stop hurting and body didn’t stop aching, but he stopped feeling so mad about it for the minute he watched and listened. There was professional polish there he’d missed seeing at the shitshow that was tonight’s gig, but there was still that rawness there of a good, irreplaceable concert. Something less precise than other idol groups’ practiced, saccharine perfection, but Ranmaru found it more welcoming than any other group he’d seen or worked with. 

The camera cut to a focus shot. Her hair was as bright as ever, styled like she were one of those princely girls from anime, just somehow made real, and she turned to look right at him-- 

Reiji (12:44 AM) : Ranran~~ how are you liking your girlfriend in this one :3c 

Ranmaru actually growled a little. He only realized he had been smiling because of how intensely he frowned at that bastard, barging into his texts --  

Ranmaru (12:44 AM): shut the fuck up and let me watch it. don’t call her that   

Reiji (12:44 AM): Isn’t she doing all the things you like??? 

Reiji (12:45 AM): So handsome! So rock! So passionate!

Reiji (12:45 AM): Feels tailor made for you ;o 

Ranmaru (12:45 AM): I told you to shut the fuck up. go text natsuki if you have to annoy someone

Reiji (12:46 AM): Aww Ranran did the show go bad? :(

Reiji (12:46 AM): But I already did, you know! And I’ve already gotten twice as many sparkly sticker replies than texts you’ve sent me in the past week!!! 

(He had to admit he laughed a little at that. Reiji was probably getting another onslaught as he was typing, his own push notifications as clogged as he was making Ranmaru’s.) 

Ranmaru (12:47 AM): I’m muting notifs since you won’t learn how to fucking shut up 

Reiji (12:47 AM): ohhhh she’s getting ranran’s full attention~! You must really like this preview, huh? I guess it’s true love 

Ranmaru (12:48 AM): WILL YOU SHUT UP ALREADY   

Reiji (12:48 AM): You’re right, I should, I should be listening for wedding bells! 

Ranmaru (12:48 AM): go make out with your gacha girlfriend body pillow and leave me alone 

Ranmaru (12:49 AM): hypocrite 

He finally muted all his notifications. An hour should be enough to ride it out, he thought as he settled a little into the hard plastic of the seat, restarting the video. The anger from the past couple hours melted away as he watched, uninterrupted, and replayed it with eyes closed as the sound flowed in through his headphones and released the tension in his body bit by bit. 

--- 

The hour ran out when Ranmaru was squatting over an especially runty kitten, eating noisily while the others watched from a couple feet away. Why stray cats could understand him better than anyone else when he said to piss off, he’d never know. He swiped around to turn his notifications back off for the rest of the night before pocketing his phone again. 

“...Oi. Slow down.” He pulled the plate of food away from the kitten. It shook with hiccups as it watched carefully, almost fearfully, before it pounced back onto the food, gobbling it down like it was going to be its last meal. Ranmaru sighed but couldn’t blame the little thing. He dumped out the last of the food, gave the rest of the cats one last look as he stood up to walk away, and he heard the frenzied scratch of their claws against the pavement as they swarmed the plates of food. 

 Maybe it wasn’t so much they understood him as he understood them. To hunger like that, both literally and for something less physical but just as carnal.  

He plugged his headphones back in, listening to the leaked preview a few more times on his way back to the apartment. 

--

He liked this group to begin with mostly because of her. She dressed, talked, and acted more like someone from a band than an idol, and something about that felt weirdly familiar and good. The rest of the group were more unique than a lot of other idols -- you’d expect that from a unit made up of a pack of ragtag international recruits, sure, but it was refreshing how they’d made everything about their presence wholly their own. 

Hers just made the most sense to him. The brashness, the way she talked about music, the way she performed, it all felt like someone who was chasing and understood the same things he did. She even said her music was about giving people power in an interview Reiji’d dug up for him. 

“Beyond language, or the way words reach people,” she’d said in decent but definitely non-native Japanese; she’d grown up some in Okinawa while her family lived on the military base, but mostly shuttled between America and Bangkok before getting recruited by chance here. “I want to give everyone a home that makes them feel strong through my music.” 

He wondered, dimly, as he took a hot shower and stared down at his swollen red toe, if he felt drawn to the group because he wanted that for himself, or because it reminded him why he kept picking up jobs that made him as angry as tonight’s did. 

He went to bed that night with an ice pack balanced on his swollen eye, the frustration more or less passed as he listened to the classic bands that new song reminded him of. 

--- 

He woke up to his phone buzzing, the hold on push notifications finally expired, and he murmured in bewilderment at just how many there were. Not just from Reiji, but Natsuki, too. 

Rather than try and parse whatever the hell happened while he was asleep, Ranmaru just went into the group chat well after he’d gotten himself breakfast. 

Ranmaru (9:28 AM): what the hell happened last night that you had to blow up my phone 

Natsuki (9:30 AM): Maru-chan-senpai! Ah! You’re alive!!!! 

Ranmaru (9:31 AM): I just went to bed is all 

(“Why the hell are you calling me ‘senpai’?” Ranmaru had asked him, and Natsuki had looked at him with those big dopey eyes and earnestly said since he’d been a fan longer, he was naturally Natsuki’s senpai, and any protest Ranmaru made never stuck.) 

Reiji supplied a link without any fanfare, introduction, or goofy dramatics, which almost startled Ranmaru. 

Notice (posted by Ootori Eiichi x/xx/xx): 

We are currently seeking an emergency replacement sound/stage technician for performances at the following dates and locations. Inquire immediately. [PAID] 

Ranmaru stared at the listing, barely processing the lurch in his stomach that came from just reading it. It was for them. That act. The debut mini-tour for that new single. It’d take rearranging his sound editing queue and massaging some deadlines, but he could feasibly make all of those dates and times.

He thought for a moment of doing that sound check, and seeing for himself the electric energy of that live. Of working with that group whose respect for their audience he personally felt, of watching her prepare, having to talk directly to her as she tuned her guitar....

There was the very real possibility that it’d prove everything he believed about them - about her, really, that ethos he was drawn to - was just smoke and mirrors, too. 

Natsuki (9:35 AM): Can you do it, Maru-chan-senpai? 

Reiji (9:36 AM): Ranran, you have to do it. 

Ranmaru (9:36 AM): this is just a listing, just because I ask doesn’t mean it’ll go through 

There was a long pause, where everyone went on and off typing, never actually saying anything, and he frowned. 

Ranmaru (9:40 AM): can you all just fucking say what you’re thinking already 

Natsuki (9:42 AM): You really love their magic and energy, I just wanted to say I hope you do it and get it because your heart wants it! 

Reiji (9:45 AM): Yes, Nacchan, you said it! Ranran, I’ll give you all the free bento you need to keep your tummy full to go do this! 

Ranmaru (9:45 AM): don’t fucking do that, reiji, you’ll just piss of your sister. I’ll buy them myself

Ranmaru (9:45 AM): assuming I even do this 

Reiji (9:46 AM): I really think you should. 

Reiji (9:46 AM): Not because we want the insider scoop. But because when’s the last time you had fun at a live you worked? 

Ranmaru could curse Reiji where he stood. Whenever he stopped fucking around and got to his point, it was always a good one. 

---

He got the job, somehow, after a little emailing back-and-forth and negotiating the contract. Now he was on a train to Yokohama for the first gig, his case packed full, his backpack stuffed with supplies for a week. Comping travel, hotel, and meals was enough to take the job, even if it paid like ass, but it didn’t. The contract was actually pretty decent. They -- or, well, at least that Ootori guy -- were upfront that he’d be worked hard, the hours were going to be long, and there wasn’t going to be much room for rest or leisure. But the pay was good. Enough that if he had a dryspell of jobs afterwards, he’d be okay for longer than usual. 

It was worth it for other reasons, though, he thought to himself, stuffing spare merch he’d gotten in blindbags (and a couple other last-minute buys he didn’t tell the others about) into a bottom corner of his suitcase. None of it was of her, none of it for him. Something felt unprofessional spending this job acting like a fan, but at least there wasn’t any harm grabbing some signatures for friends who never made it to meet-and-greets. 

The single was out properly, now, and so was the PV. There was a section of it he especially liked and had gotten into the habit of watching on train rides, where she broke out of the dance routine to put her arms around her teammates, grin a dumb grin, and kick her legs high. It cut to a different shot of the group in different costumes but perfect sync, and when it cut back to that first shot, she stumbled and fell right on her ass, dragging the others down with her. Still grinning stupidly, and singing through it all. 

She didn’t take many vocal solos. She only had one line in this song to herself, and she was singing with the whole group for this shot. He read in an interview she wasn’t happy with the tone quality of her voice yet -- it needed to be richer, and she still needed plenty of training before it reached what her teammates and audience deserved. 

Ranmaru told himself, as the train was minutes away from the station, that this had to be the last time he watched this video and listened to the song like this. At least for the duration of this job. Every time he watched that shot, as she kept singing and the rest of the group tumbled down with her with the same dumb grin she wore, he knew in his gut the voice she sang in must’ve sounded like the soul of rock. Even if that gesture were directed and performed, there was still something genuine there that reminded him of those moments at concerts that convinced him to walk the path he did. 

Maybe he’d get to see it live. Maybe he wouldn’t. But he had to stop imagining it. She - this whole group, rather - was about to become real, and whether or not everything he imagined would turn out to just be something he made up to deal with his shit, he had a job to do. 

------------------------------------

He had a chance to leave his clothes and belongings in the hotel before heading to the live house. Ranmaru was unsure why this Ootori guy had picked him. He didn’t have an exactly long resume with idol shows, but then again, this was a group that debuted without any typical idol sound. There wasn’t any gimmick to them (Ranmaru wouldn’t call being made up of foreigners much of a gimmick when it came to the music), and they weren’t afraid of reaching into all sorts of genres he more typically worked with. 

Right as he got to the live house, his phone rumbled with back-to-back notifications. 

Reiji (5:48 PM): Ranran~!!! Ganbarimachochho from us! 

Ranmaru wouldn’t deign the attached selfie with a response right now (he was about to work, after all), but he felt himself suppressing a smile. Reiji was sticking his tongue out and making a victory sign, Natsuki further in the background, half-buried in stuffed animals and doing the same. They were going to be streaming the event for special-tier fanclub members like REIJI, which Ranmaru had always harangued him for. If he was a fan, wasn’t it enough to just cheer their hearts out live, enjoy their music, buy a CD and shirt, and feel the energy they had to give that way? 

(He still pored over the behind-the-scenes and advance material Reiji forwarded to him and Natsuki regardless. Sometimes he translated the English from their social media accounts, even. It was satisfying, as stupid as it felt sometimes, to do those little things in between the real shows.) 

He’d never been to the live house before, but it had the same vibes as so many others he’d been to. He found the back entrance effortlessly, where a man with glasses almost took him by surprise. 

“Kurosaki?” he asked. His gaze felt just as intense as all the other communication they’d had over e-mail. 

“Ootori,” he grunted back. 

“You’re early,” Eiichi replied, grinning at Ranmaru. Not that it surprised him in the slightest, but it made him look less approachable and instead even more intense. “Good. I like that in a recruit.” 

Ranmaru gritted his teeth quietly. This guy was going to be an absolute bastard, he could feel it, but at least he seemed like he knew how to run a show. “Don’t say that like I joined your agency. Tell me where the group’s at with setup, and I’ll get started.” 

 Eiichi’s eyes glinted from behind his glasses. He looked too satisfied with himself for Ranmaru’s taste. “I liked how you didn’t beat around the bush when you reached out for the job, and it’s good to see you hold to it. They’re rehearsing in the space, but we still have equipment to unload and cues to sync. You read the notes I sent you, I trust.” 

“All forty fuckin’ pages of it.” Ranmaru left out that he’d actually found it pretty impressive, appreciating the thoroughness and ambition of the show for a smaller group and venue. “Are we going to stand around shooting the shit or are we going to get started working on them?” 

Eiichi laughed at that. Ranmaru wasn’t sure if it pissed him off or made him feel eager to get to work. 

“This way,” he said, showing him to a van stuffed full of equipment. 

------ 

Ranmaru went straight to the live house staff to start doing his work. The master controls were kept in a little room that overlooked the stage. His gut flipped when he first saw them all, rehearsing some specific-looking choreography that needed to adjust to a new stage.  He wasn’t about to let that interrupt work. This was just like any other job, except he liked the performers a whole lot more, and things progressed like any other job. Until she looked dead at him from the stage, calling out. 

“Heeeeey,” she said. “Scuse me, are you the new tech guy?” 

“Yeah.” Ranmaru forced the feeling rising in his throat back down (as much as he could with sheer willpower, anyway). “Whaddya want?” 

“I just wanted to ask your name! We gotta call you something!” 

“Ranmaru,” he answered, hoping dearly that whatever he felt burning on his face was hidden by the dim lighting. 

“Cool, OK. Ranmaru-san,” she continued cheerfully. Ranmaru felt his chest tighten as he heard his name on her lips. “Are we queued up enough that we can do this number with music?” 

“This is the one for the new single, right,” he called back. He took a look at the levels, gain, and so forth as they were and instinctively nudged the knobs where the countless plays of that new song told him to. He’d imagined the vision of its stage presence for weeks. “I’m gonna test out some different settings for the levels ‘n stuff while you do that.” 

She made an expression of surprise as it came on. Delight, even, as she rode out into the following beats. Ranmaru couldn’t help crooking into his own smile, satisfied his know-how just helped that vision become a little bit brighter. She flashed him a thumbs up, then a gesture to pause, still grinning. 

“Can we take it from the top? Five, six, seven, eight---” 

-------- 

Ranmaru had never felt this sort of contradiction. She was restringing her acoustic guitar, from steel to nylon strings, as she hummed and practiced segments of songs, and Ranmaru was adjusting amplifiers and other equipment on the stage nearby. His head swam with the thought and excitement they were sharing the same stage, even just as a tech and pre-show performer, but approaching her felt like being both sides of a magnet at once. 

But that push and pull gave way, eventually, as the guitar finished being re-strung and tuned, and the humming turned into full-on singing. Ranmaru fought desperately to make sure he wasn’t just confirming what he’d already imagined, to just appreciate her live voice on its own merits and flaws. But he could feel in his chest that that character, that quality he’d responded so much to was there, that even with some lacking technical skill, there was still a rich tone color you could only get with passion and the spirit for rock. 

“You doing any solos tonight?” he asked in English. 

“Hm?” She looked caught by surprise. 

Ranmaru answered, already anticipating the question. “I’m half-American. I speak it fluently enough.” 

“Well, shit,” she said with a grin. “That’s convenient for us. I mean, I don’t mind Japanese if it’s easier…” 

“‘Sfine. Do what you want. I won’t complain about the practice, though.” 

She chuckled. “Man, maybe losing our usual guy from the agency was a stroke of good luck.” 

Ranmaru laughed challengingly. “Say that after the show goes well. And you still haven’t answered my question.” 

“Oh, uh. Right. Not really? Why do you ask?” 

“Why not?” 

She took a moment and laughed brightly in reply. Ranmaru could practically hear the insecurity she was covering up. 

“‘Cuz we’re an idol group.” 

Ranmaru gestured and murmured in vague acknowledgement. “You still have less solo lines than everyone else.” 

“Oh, do I,” she replied flatly, going back to her guitar, trimming overhanging strings. “I guess you would know, now that you’ve gotta manage all our sound.” 

“I just think it’s stupid you’ve clearly got your own voice but can’t think of sharing it without hiding behind everyone else’s.” 

She looked up at him incredulously. “Ranmaru-san, right?” 

“...Just call me Ranmaru.” 

“Alright, Ranmaru.” She looked at him again. Somehow when she looked at him dead-on this time, nothing went to mush inside of him. “Don’t fucking talk to me like our group voice isn’t the backbone of everything we’re trying to do.” 

“Nothing’s wrong with your group voice,” he shot back, getting heated. “It’s good. I can feel the soul behind it all, even when you’re rehearsing.” 

“So why are you fucking complaining?” She was still smiling, laying cheer and energy over her growing frustration. “Is there something you wanna say to me about my crew’s voices?” 

“They’re fine!” he barked back, frustrated she wasn’t getting his point. “This isn’t about them! You have something your audience is gonna be lit on fire hearing more of, that’s all!”  

Some eyes were starting to fall on them, but Ranmaru could barely notice them over the way her chest rose sharply and her expression became inscrutible. 

“...how about,” she said, speaking slowly as she deliberately, diplomatically pulled out her words, switching back to Japanese. “You save any notes you have for after the show.” 

“......Sure.” His stomach flipped again, more intensely and more painfully than the last few times. He went back to fussing with the amp, and she laid the pliers she’d trimmed her strings with on it before heading backstage until the show started. 

--- 

The show was electric. Ranmaru couldn’t say he was the right audience for most idol groups -- not so much out of distaste as much as incompatibility, he guessed. The way Reiji and Natsuki would lose their minds over their favorites’ cheerful cuteness or the kindness in their voices, Ranmaru wouldn’t. The fanatical, cult-of-personality devotion some other idols could curate with otaku-types, he didn’t connect with, either. What spoke to him was passion, backed by steely sounds and the sweat behind them; the excitement and fervor of rock and a crowd stinking of sweat; how well you could make someone scream themselves hoarse for that one, shining moment without any care for how sore they’d feel the next morning. 

Maybe it was the adrenaline from earlier, but when he could look away from the tech, he felt that here, too. There was no drum or bass player onstage, but he could still feel the beat thrum through his chest and rumble through his bones until his breath quickened, like he were jumping and dancing with the crowd. There was joy in their teamwork. In how they shaped their bodies together in song and in voice, and pushing and pulling the spotlight until it was something brighter, something shared and tangible between them and the audience.

His eyes fell on her. What should he call her? She had a stage name in Thai, but she was open that wasn’t her given name or anything friends and family called her. “Aroon” was just something she picked so she could wear her heritage proudly. It meant ‘dawn,’ it sounded cooler, more idol-ish than her Western name, which wasn’t a secret, by any means, but he heard her called by so many versions of it, none felt real. 

It only felt so weird because seeing her onstage, he felt far beyond any confirmation bias he could’ve had that the person he’d seen in the PV’s was every bit as real as he’d hoped. He saw someone who didn’t just fit on stage, but relished and grew like a plant in the hot lights burning down on them. There was something so honest about how she hyped the crowd, leaned so forward she seemed like she might leap into a crowdwalk, pointing at her ear until the whole crowd bellowed in their own guttoral harmony. And she smiled so much at her crewmates -- Ranmaru realized he was smiling, too, while she played guitar and accompanied the others’ solos, only breaking from her deep sway with the music to look at them with brightness and joy in her eyes. 

In those moments, Ranmaru understood something he hadn’t before, but it also made him realize that the hunger in him wasn’t being sated so much as it was deepening. 

They got cheered back on for an encore. And towards the end of that last song, Ranmaru watched as she broke choreography to literally lift the one Natsuki was convinced was a fairy, spinning them around as the practiced moves dissolved into joyful chaos. The whole group ended the song arm in arm, sloppily holding mics for each other as they alternately laughed, belted, fumbled, and shouted thank-yous into the audience.

Ranmaru still felt something tug at him as the mic got held in front of her, she grabbed it, and handed it to someone else. Just sing, damn it, he thought to himself. It didn’t matter if it was perfect, it just mattered that it was hers. 

Didn’t she realize she deserved to be adored the same way she wanted the rest of her group to be? 

Ranmaru cut everything as they filtered offstage, staggering and softening the mics as they put them back and let them go. He took a deep, sighing breath in and out, almost like he’d been holding it for the entire concert, as his stomach growled. 

Maybe he should’ve taken some more of Reiji’s bento, after all, and give Natsuki’s cookies another try.  

-------- 

They closed up quickly. With the group no longer bound by rehearsal, takedown went faster than ever, and there wasn’t any meet-and-greet at today’s venue. Ranmaru dimly considered looking at the merch table, but he had a week to do that and had other things to finish with today’s closeup, anyway. 

He could hear the group discussing amongst themselves in English about where to go for a late dinner celebrating a good show.

“I want chicken,” she pleaded. “Is there one of those Taiwanese shops where you can get boba and chicken around here? You know, the kind that comes in a little bag and a toothpick?” 

Eiichi approached them, and she started to repeat herself in Japanese before he asked to interrupt her. 

“We’re all headed to the izakaya two blocks from here,” he announced to everyone. “I’ve already called ahead to reserve the space. Consider it a reward for a triumph of the first show on tour.” 

“But is there chicken,” she repeated in Japanese in mock desperation as she mussed her own hair, fussing it out of the careful styling she’d had it in for hours. 

Ranmaru’s phone buzzed from the notifications he missed, shutting them off for the duration of the show. Mostly from Natsuki and Reiji. He scrolled through the groupchat as they reacted live to the stream and tried to compliment Ranmaru on managing sound so well, though he was sure it couldn’t have possibly made much of a difference for the stream. 

Ranmaru (11:37 PM): it was a killer show, wasn’t it 

Ranmaru (11:37 PM): they’re talking about craving chicken right now. Guess it’s too bad we don’t have a kotobuki bento branch around here. 

Ranmaru (11:38 PM): i could go for a kara-age bento 

Reiji (11:38 PM): Ranran….! 

Natsuki (11:39 PM): Waaaah~! I hope you find some kara-age soon and share it with your shining star! 

Ranmaru immediately locked the phone after that. His stomach somersaulted once more time. He stood by what he said to her earlier, but he couldn’t imagine she’d want to talk after the way things had gone. Better to leave the group to that postshow glow, feed himself, and head back to the hotel. 

--------- 

The room was swimming just a little. Ranmaru blearly looked at his phone, trying to ignore the fact that he’d drank beyond his limit like an idiot. He knew he was like this, so why did he keep downing beer after beer? He’d gotten too used to needing as much as he could stomach to tolerate Reiji’s antics (and, he knew dimly, he was just too used to being able to rely on him once he’d hit his limit). 

She was seated right across from him, because of course she was, but they didn’t exchange any words or even eye contact. She was entirely focused on the rest of the group and the meal itself, laughing loudly between boisterous stories and jokes and devouring whatever snacks she ordered. 

Ranmaru got up. He could make it back to the hotel by himself, probably. Nobody asked as he left, which was how he’d preferred things, right? 

If there was such thing as taking a desolate wizz, maybe this is what it felt like, he thought to himself as he dried his hands on his shirt and left the restroom to step outside. Just for a moment. Just to get some air. 

Eiichi followed him out. 

“Can I help you,” Ranmaru said roughly after Eiichi caught the door behind him. 

“Hardly.” He had the same look in his eye as before. “I thought I’d take the opportunity to say well done.” 

Ranmaru grunted. “You still have six more shows with me. Compliment me when I’ve nailed all of them.” 

“Hm. I’d certainly expect no less. But,” he continued, that grin going places Ranmaru especially didn’t like. “I can’t say that was what I was referring to.” 

Ranmaru looked at him suspiciously. 

“She’s been a tough nut to crack,” he continued. “I’m glad my instincts were right, Ranmaru Kurosaki, your brusqueness and deep experience with music laid her heart bare enough she recognized some changes she needed to make.” 

He didn’t think, and only saw red -- he couldn’t blame the alcohol entirely, but the haziness was enough that his brain needed a moment to catch up to his gut reaction. 

Eiichi laughed, unfazed by Ranmaru’s hands on his collar or snarling expression. 

“Bastard!” he barked. Eiichi’s eyes glinted behind his glasses. 

“I heard your little conversation. Do you not stand by those words?” 

“Of course I do,” Ranmaru snapped. 

“They reached her,” Eiichi cut in before Ranmaru could think of what to say next. “She’s already asking me about extra vocal training before the next recording sessions.” 

“She doesn’t need more training!” He threw Eiichi back, finally letting go. He barely needed any effort to recover, and Ranmaru just glared at him as he kept raising his voice. “And I’m not your for-hire music coach! Is this how you treat all your contractors, you rat bastard of a producer?!” 

He just laughed that laugh of his, making Ranmaru even angrier. “Your passion for music and straightforwardness was evident, even in your initial inquiry. It was just excellent luck your technical skills were just as useful for sending this idol group hurtling towards their fullest potential.” 

“If you want her to reach it, you’d tell her she doesn’t need any extra lessons. You’d just tell her she’s a great goddamn idol the way she is right now,” Ranmaru spat. “Trusting her voice is just what’ll make her into a better one.” 

“I hear some selfish intent in that, Kurosaki.” Eiichi looked like he was burning with excitement. “But that just means I can trust your intentions more than anyone. You speak as someone whose heart’s already been moved. A fan...a loyal follower who desires their success. Perhaps even more than she does.” 

“I’m going back to the hotel.” Ranmaru strode past him, feeling himself burn from top to bottom. He gave Eiichi one last look in the eye. “If you need me before the show tomorrow, find someone else.”  

------- 

The next day and next show went uneventfully. Now that he’d met the group at Yokohama, he was travelling with them in the cars and equipment vans, and he made a point of finding a back seat nobody wanted to share, stretching out, and napping the whole ride. The setup at the next live house was a pain in the ass with their unusual devices and systems, but Ranmaru was quietly grateful to have his hands full. He liked having a good reason for not wanting to talk to (scold) anyone but the live house staff itself. Being irritated they went for weird, cheap models with lower quality helped him double down on the attention needed to make the group shine. They collectively got ramen afterwards. The only words he exchanged all meal were with the one Reiji liked so much, ferrying his ramen order for him when he got frustrated with the shop crowd and left to go wait outside. 

(He’d have to find a way to talk with her later about Reiji. Not just for the autograph -- he opened up his phone, ignoring any notifications that weren’t his work email, and messaged him. 

Ranmaru (9:42 PM): send me a pic of your Mae shrine 

Reiji (9:45 PM): ehh? Ranran, what for? 

Ranmaru (9:50 PM): just send it 

Dutifully, Reiji did. Ranmaru couldn’t have imagined he really had no idea what he planned to do with it, but if he wasn’t just playing dumb, at least he’d be getting one hell of a surprise.) 

It was during the third show that things started to happen a way he could scarcely believe. The show went pretty normally, except for one point where she stumbled badly enough during a complex turn she completely ate shit. But she played it off into something hammy and funny, rolling out of the way of the others, lying like she were posing in a cheesy beefcake calendar while she found the beat again to sing. 

Ranmaru still thought she needed to own up to her lack of courage and just sing more, but putting it like she was a coward was a mistake. He thought dimly to what Reiji had said that had convinced him -- “when was the last time you had fun working a stage like this?” And he wondered if he’d ever had fun onstage like he saw. He might’ve tasted the glory and passion of the stage, the delicious energy of the audience, and the power of rock -- he knew he did, he’d looked an easier, blander life in the eye and felt too desolate to walk that path, even with his inescapable debt. 

But it could be more fun. That audience could feel more, even more connected, that he could smile through mistakes when the performance came from camaraderie as much as passion and soul. Things could be better when they were shared beyond just the respect of an audience and a performer.

He didn’t realize he was smiling as much as he was until his cheeks were hurting, but that was also because he felt hungrier than he’d ever been.  

----

He couldn’t help calculating how many meals he’d be cutting into as the convenience store clerk rang up everything, even though he’d already gotten Eiichi to confirm he was going to expense him the bill and get refunded every cent. 

The show closed late. They had a special meet-and-greet he didn’t need to be around to handle, but none of them had had the chance to eat much outside of some spare snacks. He figured something fast and easy before they could collapse in the hotel would fit the bill. 

She wasn’t there when he went around knocking on the hotel room doors and delivering the goods. Gone out to relax on the roof, they said, and when they offered to hold her food, he said no, he’d take it right to her. 

The sound of the roof door opening looked like it startled her, and he didn’t know what else to do but hold up the bag full of food like a peace offering. 

“Eat something,” he said in English, tossing her a banana from the bag. She caught it before eyeing him up and down, then settled back to the outdoor lounge chair she’d been resting on. Ranmaru took a seat in the one across for her, setting the bag on the ground as he pulled the rest of the food out. She looked hesitant, only speaking until he’d laid everything out, even the drinks.

“...That smells good,” she said in Japanese. “What’s that, kara-age?” 

“I heard you guys were craving chicken.” 

 “I mean, I sure was. Thanks.”

“I told you English was fine,” he said, back to Japanese. 

“My Japanese is fine,” she said, tearing into the banana first. 

“Yeah, but if you’re tired of speaking outside of your native tongue,” Ranmaru started, already feeling himself get heated. “Why wouldn’t you take the chance to just rest?” 

She finished her bite of banana before giving him a look. “...If you insist.” 

They just sat in silence as she ate for a bit. 

“Is there something else you want from me?” she asked. She left half the kara-age and bottled tea.

“...No, not really. I wanted to say sorry for the other day, though.” 

“Ah.” She smiled knowingly, though she didn’t look happy about it. “Don’t worry about it. It sure isn’t the first or last time I’m gonna be criticized in this industry. I can handle it.” 

Ranmaru murmured in acknowledgement, not sure to what end making himself clear to would earn, but he had to, anyways. He stared down the half-full kara-age container. 

“...This is your goddamn food, you know.” He pushed it closer to her. “Eat it.” 

“Oh, you’re sure?” 

“I didn’t have a meet-and-greet that made me miss dinner. Do you really wanna work a tour on an empty stomach?” 

She scooped it up with a knowing ‘hmm’ and a half-smile. After polishing it off, she let out a heavy sigh. 

“You are right, though. I’m being a coward, not singing more.” 

“You’re not,” Ranmaru grumbled. 

“Sure,” she said dismissively. “But I guess I should apologize for getting so defensive. I thought you were just another macho shithead trying to talk the piss out of our group and the voice we have.” 

“That’s nothing to apologize for,” Ranmaru said resolutely. “....when I was in a band, I wish I’d had bandmates who’d do that kinda shit for me.” 

“Oh, shit, what’d you play?” 

“Vocals. Bass. Rock.” 

“Aw, c’mon, get more specific than that. Surf rock? Indie boy shoegaze? Folk punk with a little dash of polka?” 

Ranmaru gave her an incredulous look. “...Oi. Do I look like a polka guy?” 

She grinned widely, looking very satisfied with herself. “I dunno, you never know who’s got a secret accordion! I could see you, maybe you painted half of it, like, red to match that edgelord RPG hero heterochromia thing you got going.” 

Ranmaru grumbled, looking away. She laughed. “....I just like rock. If you had to pull my leg I guess I’d tell you hard rock. Maybe a little alt and prog.” 

“Ooh!” She exclaimed, barely letting the sip of tea get down her throat. “That’s the good shit! Did you ever record anything?”

Ranmaru hesitated. “...Yeah, but nothing that anyone can listen to anymore.” 

She seemed to understand without much more explanation. “...Well. You’re fucking good at the sound engineering side of things. Don’t tell management this -- or well, just don’t quote me on this --  but I like you a hell of a lot more than the guy we were supposed to have from the agency. He doesn’t know shit about how to make music that’s about soul and hype. It’s like, all one level the whole time, you know? Like it’s just sitting at an 8 the whole time, we don’t really get to do stuff like crescendos. Or like, punch someone in the dick by taking it from a three and shoot it to an eleven, you know?” 

“Yeah,” Ranmaru said, throwing a hand up. “What’s with that shit? There’s a bunch of stupid clients I had who were like that. Just one kind of loud, the whole album or concert through. What’s the fucking point if you aren’t gonna make people hear something other than just fuckin’ loud?” 

“Yeah! You get it!” she whooped, before she held her hand out for a fistbump. 

It surprised Ranmaru enough that it took a moment to register. But he smiled a little and pounded it. 

------

“Man-eating momma, steam-driven hammer

Sorts the men out from the boys--” 

She slid her arm around his waist, and he nearly choked on his beer. 

They were at Korean barbecue tonight, their own private room. The last meal, after the last concert, after the last meet-and-greet, after the last frantic merch sales. Ranmaru tried to buy himself a shirt, but instead was presented with a staff hoodie for the tour and a “one of everything” comp for the rest of the merch. They were now safely tucked with other goods he’d gotten signed for Reiji and Natsuki last night while everyone hung out in their big hotel suite. Hotel management made a mistake and upgraded the whole crew to their biggest room with extra cots to fit them all, and they spent the entire post show in a dizzying, joyful, communal haze. Ranmaru even told stories of the embarrassing depths of his groupchat’s devotion to the group and each of their favorites, and everyone took turns recording chaotic, personalized videos for Ranmaru to share later. They fell asleep at a truly stupid hour, and Ranmaru wondered if this is what having sleepovers as a kid felt like. 

“Takes no messing, all-in wrestling

Is one of her pride and joys” 

Ranmaru recognized the words as she pulled him closer, swaying after slamming her beer to the table. Maybe less the tune, since that was being yelled more than sung. 

“She's a classy, flashy lassy

Imitation sapphire shine-- c’mon, dude, you know!” She looked at him expectantly. She was very, very flushed, and at this point, he had to be, too. 

“We’re not at a karaoke bar!” he barked. 

“Where’s all that ‘you gotta sing more, fuckass’ energy now, huh,” she said, lowering her voice so much to mimic that Ranmaru briefly questioned if this is what he sounded like to her. 

“....Fine! If you’re gonna sing it, actually fuckin’ sing it, don’t just yell!” 

“Oh yeah,” she said with what passed for a shit-eating grin with her. “Then show me, partyboy. Hey, everyone, meet my new vocal coach! Hold onto your dick, folks, he better fuckin floor you with all the shit he’s been talking --”  

Ranmaru looked at her a moment as she kept ranting, first with incredulity, then with a weird surreal awe. What the hell was happening?  

Why the hell should he bother questioning it? 

“-- Two-faced liar, full of fire

But I know the flame is mine!” He cut off her rant, singing as much as he could like this were a stage. 

She -- and a bunch of other staff at the table -- whooped and cheered and laughed, but she and only she joined in with him without a care in the world. “Rocka Rolla woman for a Rocka Rolla man

You can take her if you want her

If you think you can--” 

He let the arm that’d been just awkwardly dangling behind her wrap around her shoulder. He felt warmer than he’d ever had, burning all the way to the tips of his ears. 

“Rocka Rolla woman for a Rocka Rolla man

You can take her if you want her you can!” 

They hung on the last note of the chorus -- she hung on comedically long before dragging them both up to bow while everyone else clapped, laughed, cheered. A server came, yelling that they had an order of grilled beef up. Eiichi, from the other end of the table, gestured that he’d ordered it, but passed it down until it sat in front of Ranmaru. 

-------- 

They had an overnight bus trip to get back home -- or close enough to home, anyways, Ranmaru still had another long train ride waiting afterwards, so he’d planned to sleep the whole bus ride. 

But she wound up sitting next to him, and even if he could pretend like that didn’t make his heart thump now by itself, she was chatty. 

He didn’t mind the conversation, though. They mostly talked about music, sharing concert stories and albums. He even talked a little about what he wanted to do now in between all the freelance work, and when she wished him luck and couldn’t wait to hear it, he didn’t feel like she was just blowing smoke. 

There came a pause while she downed a bottle of tea. 

“...I meant it when I said there’s something in your voice the audience oughta hear,” he said, looking at her intently. 

She laughed uncomfortably after she swallowed. “Thank you. I’ll…..I guess I just have to go for it, huh.” 

“What’s stopping you?” 

“I...hm….” She paused in intent thought for a while. “Well, for one, the technical control isn’t there.” 

“Yeah, but you’ll improve that by doing it.” 

“Yeah, yeah. But there’s more than just that, I guess.” 

“Like what.” 

“...Well, you know how this industry is. It’s…hard. Finding the balance of what you’re good at, what people want, and what the higher-ups think they want. I don’t think I’m anywhere near figuring that balance out...”

“Forget all that.” Ranmaru looked at her very seriously, shifting in place so he could look her in the eye a little better. “Don’t worry about any of those things.” 

She laughed disbelievingly. “Okay, sure, lemme just. Throw out my job description while I’m at it. Dude, the whole point of this job and this work is to make other people happy.” 

“I was happy hearing your voice just as it was that first day. You just. Sang the way you wanted to. I liked that. It felt good. Genuine.” He took a moment to recall the words he found at the beginning of the tour. “...You like it when people connect with your group’s voice ‘n adore your groupmates. So let ‘em adore you some.” 

“Oh, cuz I’m so adowable,” she joked, laughing as Ranmaru scowled. 

“I mean it. I….” he started. “...The audience is going to be better for hearing more of you. Whatever that means.” 

She thought about that for a moment. “...I...you know. I don’t think I’ve ever asked myself what that looks like. Or let myself realize it, anyway.”

“You can handle the criticism if it comes. If that’s something you’re scared of.” 

“...Maybe it is. Thank you, Ranmaru, I’m going to think about that and kick everybody’s teeth in the next time we record.  

“‘Snothing,” he murmured, but he felt like his heart was going to soar out of his chest, and later, as they both nodded off and slumped over each other as the road stretched on, he realized he felt sated in a way he couldn’t remember being. A weird sort, that took away the pang of hunger, but made him feel it more deeply through his whole being. 

---- 

When he arrived ‘home,’ it was lunchtime, and he was too dazed, hungry, and tired to weather one last long walk home without some food in his stomach. It was on the way-- he may as well go to Kotobuki Bento and make Reiji make good on the free bento offer. 

(His sister rang him up, and Ranmaru paid up.) 

Reiji found him after the meal, and he wound up heading to Reiji’s room. To give him the merch, theoretically, but after Reiji earned enough grouchy monosyllabic replies, he brought something that sounded like an actual question. 

“...So, Ranran, while you were away…” 

“Just say it,” Ranmaru muttered, eyes too tired to focus. “I’m too fucking tired for you to take the long away around.” 

“Nattsun’s friend wants to join our little fanclub!”

“....And.” 

Reiji shrank a little, speaking more sheepishly. “The thing is...we mentioned you and....he’s pretty sure you two already know each other and you’d want nothing to do with him.” 

Ranmaru hazily tried to recall who that could be. There were too many people whose guts he hated for him to figure it out by himself. 

“Who is it,” Ranmaru growled tiredly. “Just fucking say it.” 

“Does...Hijirikawa ring a bell?” 

It did. Ranmaru fumed in silence for a moment, thinking about the whirlwind of disaster that name was attached to, but also the vague memories of that quiet, serious boy in traditional dress who fretted after him when they were too small to know of things like debts and bankruptcy...

“...Whatever,” Ranmaru muttered. He looked at Reiji’s bed and decided he wasn’t going to tolerate any more of this exhaustion -- he had a reliable neighbor to leave food out for the cats, anyway, what was a couple more hours? “It’s not really much of a fanclub if it’s just the three of us. He can join if he wants. It’ll give you ‘n Natsuki someone who’s better at responding to your crazy nightlong gushing than me.” He tossed the dakimakura on Reiji’s bed, dented in the middle from so much hugging, to him, before he shrugged closer into his staff tour hoodie and slumped into Reiji’s bed. 

He could practically see Reiji stammering, even as he turned away and settled into the comfort of eyes closed and a real bed. Clearly, that wasn’t the answer he was expecting, and it wasn’t the one Ranmaru was expecting to give, either. 

“-- R...Ranran, you really--” 

“Yes! What the fuck wasn’t clear about what I said! Masato can join! Go add him already! Just let me sleep, you noisy bastard!” Ranmaru barked one last time at Reiji. 

Ranmaru ignored whatever last jabbering Reiji had for him, already carried off to proper sleep. He wondered what he could possibly dream about that would rival the past week and this satisfying feeling, cradled in his new hoodie.  

(I perform semi-professionally -- not as an idol, mind, but I’m still getting up on a stage/camera to entertain people on the reg -- and it was so weird but also really......doki-inspiring, let’s say, to imagine Ranmaru being a fan of my stage bravado :’’’’’D To be honest I’ve been feeling a little discouraged and burnt out by it lately but this really refilled my tanks!!!) 

[rainstormfes]

I've been waiting for this to be uploaded

https://youtu.be/mRjw0v1K-PI

The event that got me into Kiramune.

I had randomly saw clips of it on some site and decided to watch it... and from then on i looked up what a kirafes was, and found out that it was a concert for a whole music label made of seiyuu. I remember being very excited and just happy knowing a whole music label for seiyuu existed. I made it a point to look up the seiyuu, the music wherever i could and managed to find a playlist of PVs for everyone's albums that had come out at the time...

That was like... in 2016ish

Man, this whole setlist brings so many memories.

I remember coming across Kakki's '君の声に' (before i found the kirafes clips) being used for a NaLu vid (natsu and lucy from fairy tail fyi) but didn't think anything of kakki possibly having a career as a singer and just thought it was a character song from somewhere else or smth. Makes me sad i didn't look into it more cause then i would've known abt kiramune then but at least i found it either way

Then theres trignal's reveal of 'mission'. I had no idea what was going on, i just truly enjoyed the performance (which ofc led to my discovery of my soon to be favorite seiyuu 💛)

I really loved Miyu's '見果てぬ世界繋がる思い' when i first heard it and immediately went out to look for it.

Nobu's 'Master BadMoon' really impressed me. The performance was rly cool and nobu was just being hot asf as a villain

KAmiYU's 'exotic fever' was also hot so i enjoyed that too lol. Unfortunately i didnt recognize 'reason' at the time cause i hadnt watched the anime Karneval yet (KAmiYU was the reason i even watched that anime in the first place lol)

And finally, kakki's '咲いちゃいな' just rly made me happy. His voice was so soothing and comforting before he started the song, and then during the performance... it was just so beautiful. A wonderful experience that still sticks with me as my fave performance of the song.

So glad i had started to genuinely try and figure out who voiced who in anime and started to recognize voices too. I love being in the seiyuu fandom, it's so small internationally but it's fun just to be in it. Seiyuu are part of the reason anime exist and they work so so so hard just to bring alive people's favorite manga/light novels/visual novels/games. Definitely a huge reason why I love them. But then there's the part of them when they're outside of the recording booth. When i see them in events, thats when i really get a feel for their personality and the person behind the voice, which i love.

Anyways...

If you read through all that, thanks lol. That's just an explanation and a walk down memory lane of how i even got into kiramune which deepened my love for seiyuu at the time and expanded my knowledge even more. ☺🥰

[sambart93]

[Ranking] KAT-TUN CAST Album

I do this for every single and album (shhh lets ignore that I didn’t do one for Ask Yourself) so here we go...

1. Fire Storm - this is going to be EPIC in the damn concert! I imagine a lot of fire and dark moments and bangs and such.

2. Ask Yourself - I still really love this song and the dance xD

3. Ready For This - I cannot wait to hear this live either!! argh! I love Maru’s part in the first verse. The chanting for this song is going to be so much fun to do!!

4. Unstoppable - I really really love this song and even more it’s PV! OMG the budget this PV got was amazing! The dance is great too!!

5. One Way Love - I am so in love with this song! It reminds me very much of Junta’s song from earlier this year. It’s sexy but has the right amount of innocent. I really hope there’s a bed and Kame all in white during this damn song.

6. Don’t Wait - this song is so nice to listen to. All their voices is GREAT in this! Maybe we’ll get feathers (or water) falling during this part. Love the chorus so much in this. And of course they mention damn chains xD

7. Marionation - I ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS love Maru’s solo songs!! This is going to have so many lasers and lights and part with just the outfits being lit up! It’s going to be amazing! I hope the other two join in during the dance instrumental part. 

8. World’s End - This fucking song is going to have Ueda on a DAMN motorbike again isn’t it?!?!? ARGH such a hyped song!! It’s SO Ueda! It’s so great and rocky. I hope he’s fighting with the juniors again in the opening of this song.

9. Tsuite Oide - this is very clubby and dancey so if they bring any old songs back... D-Motion?!

10. Negai - Ahhhhhh the crying song for the con! Again, their voices sound so amazing on this song! Also I noticed it’s just a piano and a guitar; if Ueda is on piano and Kame is on guitar and Maru improv-ed beatboxing during it and they make it a damn acoustic version in the concert,,,, I will DIE! But this is what I am assuming.

11. MoonLight - this song is good but before the CD was released, I had such high hopes for this because the writer and melody staff for this also did songs like MOON so I was expecting something very very racey. But we got spanish/latino vampires instead -- which is fine but it’s not as amazing as I was imagining. Also the line ‘from the womb to the tomb’ cracks me up SO much.

12. Ai no Okage - This feels like OLD rock in terms of the melody and feel. I assume this will be our EnCore, throwing out signed balls, song. You know which part of the concert I’m talking about! xD

13. New Genesis - this song is very very good too. It’s VERY KAT-TUN but it feels a bit too similar to other songs we’ve heard and got from KAT-TUN and those past songs are more superior and powerful. But it’s still a good song! It’s going to sound amazing in the concert halls!

14. Kun - I love how it changes between the three members and the melody changes slightly. It’s a really cute and nice song to listen to. And it definitely feels like a crying and/or member song.

16. Dirty, Sexy, Night - This is SO much like the Come Here days!! You know exactly which songs I mean: Break UR Cage and such.

17. Vivid Love - I assume this song will either be the crying song at the end or it’ll be the ‘lets calm down before/after the MC starts’ song. I hope they’re in those lifts or on their own stands at this point with just the single spotlights.

18. Be Alive - Another very old rocky-type song. Reminds me of their No More Pain album songs like Rockin All Night. It feels very Kamen Rider and TOEI like too!

19. Believe It - this is the only song on this entire album that I HATE.I really, really don’t like this song! I hate, hate, hate, hate the chorus. Am I alone in this?

*

And that’s done!

[things-i-cannot]

Big City Rodeo Music Video

My thoughts.. 

The music video reminds me so much of Sandaime’s music videos (Happy, Welcome to Tokyo and Feel so Alive) 😅

 For example, when Ryuto appears wit the car at the beginning, doesn't it looks like Ryuji’s part in Happy??

Also the whole partying concept, kinda have the same vibes to happy as well. 

I m a little bit disappointed though, like where’s the rodeo? 😂 We were expecting Gene wit cowboys hats and outfits but what do we get? Expensive cars instead of horses 😂

The choreo is.. interesting i guess? In one of the making, they said they wanna make a catchy dance that people want to imitate.. a cool but somewhat lame moves, something like that.  The visual/concept of the pv really reminds me of Sandaime’s but the choreo doesn't 😅 It is very Generations type of dance 😄

LONG POST (GIFS) UNDER CUT 

Ryota wit his winks and that whistling i was kinda hoping it was Ryuto for that part  😂

Mandy being sexy but to be honest I just can’t take him seriously 😂 I kinda chuckled at those sexy scenes  😂

Yuta flashing his card 😂 also, giving drinks to the bartender awwww and the corkscrew move! 

Hayato!! When he jumps over Reo though!! 😲

KSG much...  🙄

ALANNN 😭😭😭

and here’s my fav part, Ryuto ❤️

Overall, I guess it’s ok. though to be honest, I am not really a fan of this kinda video (parties video) There are too many people, looks crowded. As for the song, yup, it certainly has grown on me. Now I cant wait to see the live performance too!! 😆

[hanak0toba]

Lyrics Translation: AKLO - Too Fast

*this song contains some explicit lyrics in English

I was a little more casual and used more slang than I usually do when translating, but it fits the song better.  Also, it looks the PV was made with footage from his tour final at Shibuya WWW X - if so, @24hrojisan and I were in the crowd!  It was such a great show!

Too Fast Romaji

Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast Just Get Going 　mata REESU ni ENTORII Gotta Get Going 　mou ushinau mono nai tokku ni mentori

[Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast Just Get Going 　mata REESU ni ENTORII Gotta Get Going 　mou ushinau mono nai tokku ni mentori]

I’m In a Hurry miru tokei no hari  Katte ni yatteru WAARUDO RARII  Ima me no mae ni 　aru mono nuki sari 　oiteku BAKKUMIRAA ni  Azayakana machi nagameteru jikan  Nante ima de wa mou nai Quick Turn  Junji ni sentaku dasu UINKAA  Jamasuru yatsura ni Middle Finger Yeah  Hasta La Vista kassarai ga tokuina hanpa nai yatsu Up a  Gear　 mata 　Up a Gear  Shin kiroku Lap of The Year  Susumi nagara takurami ga fueteku  Maa tsumari wa 　tomaru toko wo katsuaisa

 [Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast  Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast  Just Get Going　 mata REESU ni ENTORII Gotta Get Going　 mou ushinau mono nai tokku ni mentori]

 Shi ni kakete soko ima Alive  ikiteru jikan BOYAketeta mono subete ga KURIA SERUFUHAKKU herashita Fear 　mou mayowazu agereru GIA Butsuriteki ni wa sonzai shinai Goal kanjiteru dake sa isogou Koko made [koko made] nandomo surinukete kita no sa makai no KOOSU Mou tomereru wake ga nai Skrr Skrr Jigoku kara nido seikanshita sore de KARUMA wa seisanshita mou keikai shinai Ima nara mou heiki imasara　 Don’t Test Me　 BETAbumi Already IKAreta Car Chasing 　kono mama NOO BUREEKI

 [Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too  Fast Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast Just Get Going 　mata REESU ni ENTORII Gotta Get Going 　mou ushinau mono nai tokku ni mentori]

 [Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too  Fast Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast Just Get Going 　mata REESU ni ENTORII Gotta Get Going　 mou ushinau mono nai tokku ni mentori]

Too Fast English Translation

Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast Just Get Going 　gotta get back in the race again Gotta Get Going 　I got nothing to lose cuz they counted me out long ago[1] 

 [Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast Just Get Going 　gotta get back in the race again Gotta Get Going 　I got nothing to lose cuz they counted me out long ago]

 I’m In a Hurry watching the second hand [tick by] Gonna throw myself into this WORLD RALLY Before you can blink,　I’ll blow past everything;　leave it all behind in my rearview mirror Time to watch the vibrant city [fly by] Only got a second [to make that] Quick Turn An instant to make the decision to hit that blinker[2]  [Flipping] a Middle Finger at bitches[3] that get in my way Yeah Hasta La Vista to all y’all who are so good at tryna hold me back Up a Gear 　and another 　Up a Gear It’s a new record, Lap of The Year The further I go, the more they keep hating on me[4]  Just saying, though:　 I ain’t ever gonna stop

 [Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast Just Get Going　gotta get back in the race again Gotta Get Going 　I got nothing to lose cuz they counted me out long ago]

 Now it’s only when I’m cheating death that I feel so Alive That everything blurry becomes so clear Hacking my own mind til my Fear is subdued 　so I won’t hesitate to crank it to the next gear There’s no physical Goal, just to experience that rush I’ve blown through this hellish course so many times already [already] So that ain’t no reason to stop anymore Skrr Skrr I’ve already survived hell twice, so I’m square with karma[5]; I’m not [gonna waste time] being cautious anymore I came out of it fine so　Don’t Test Me 　just floor it[6]  Already Got no [need for] brakes in this　crazy Car Chasing

 [Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast Just Get Going　gotta get back in the race again Gotta Get Going 　I got nothing to lose cuz they counted me out long ago]

 [Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast I’m Going Too Fast Just Get Going　gotta get back in the race again Gotta Get Going　I got nothing to lose cuz they counted me out long ago]

Translator’s Notes:

 [1] In other words, he has nothing to lose by getting back in the race because everyone thinks he’s going to lose anyway.  So, he can’t do any worse than people expect him to.

 [2] Turning indicator on a car; turn signal.  The original word is ウィンカー WINKAA.

 [3] I went a little heavy with this one.  The word is 奴ら yatsura, plural of 奴 yatsu, which is a kind of derogatory (or familiar) way of saying “that guy/them.”  It’s a rap song, and he’s flipping them off, so I went with derogatory and not familiar.

 [4] Again, a little loose.  The original line is 企みが増えてく takurami ga fueteku, which literally would be “the plots/schemes/conspiracies keep multiplying”

 [5] I don’t know how common a phrase this is for non-native English speakers.  Being square with someone/thing is like being even – he doesn’t owe karma anything and karma doesn’t owe him anything.

 [6] Again, not too sure how well-known this is – this means stomping the gas pedal to the floor, going as fast as you possibly can. A similar phrase is “pedal to the metal.”

[putschki1969]

2017/08/05 Blog post by Wakana 『全16公演！！＼(^-^)／～たくさんの"+ONE仲間"に繋いでくれて、ありがとう～』

『16 performances in total! ＼(^-^)／～Thank you for this connection of so many “+ONE comrades”～』 My Chinese banyan (the hanging type) called 「Tsurumaru」 is bearing fruits. Actually, back in the middle of February, I ended up killing my first plant so this little thing here is in fact Tsurumaru 2.0. Since I was taking care of the original plant inside the house and it withered there, I decided to raise the next one outside. Tsurumaru has been enjoying this summer a lot and seems to be doing great ♪ Hello, this is Wakana (0 ¯ ▽ ¯ 0) /

By the way, apparently it’s because I was still such a newbie back then when I was taking care of my first plant so of course I couldn’t handle it and it ended up withering ... ('; ω; `) When I consulted my trusted plant store staff, they gave me a new one in exchange for the withered plant, and surprise surprise, they managed to breathe some life back into #1. As expected from such professionals! At home Tsurumaru 2.0 has been growing leaves like crazy and now it’s finally bearing fruits. I am learning so much from my plants, about feeling grateful to be alive and about the importance of taking care of something. Well, last weekend in Hong Kong we celebrated the final performances of our 「9+ONE」 tour which started back in April (^-^) . It was our first time being back on that stage since 2010. During this performance I felt much closer to the audience than I did back then. When we first went on our Asia Tour everyone was singing the songs together with us in Japanese, with smiling faces they conveyed their love to us, I was singing with all my strength from the bottom of my heart trying to hold back my tears as best as possible. It is still such a precious memory and just thinking back on it makes me all emotional. At the signing session after our concert there were lots of people who had also seen our performance back in the day, they showed us the pamphlets and goods they had bought back then asked us, "Can you please put your signature next to the one I received seven years ago!" Our 9 years are definitely linked together. From the very beginning, I was incredibly happy that our music was always connecting us. Having done this tour this year, I have been able to meet many fans of Kalafina, I have been able to reflect upon many things and it made me ready to look straight ahead and continue onwards. Thank you to everyone who came to see us (^ - ^) Both with our domestic and overseas lives we held a total of 16 performances, it made me happy to feel and experience music together with so many people. Everyone, let’s forever be connected through our music! And let’s connect more and more people! I'm REALLY thankful to all of you!! ☆⌒ヾ(o´∀`o)ﾉ⌒★ By the way, we received THIS yesterday! HERE IT IS! The very first newsletter of Kalafina’s Fan Club 「Harmony」!!! ((((oﾟ▽ﾟ)o))) We put a lot of stuff in it, lots of this and that. Hehehe! All fan club members, please look forward to receiving it Σd(ﾟ∀ﾟd) I want lots of people to read it! Well, I will leave it at that ♪ ♪ See you later. ☆ (* '▽' *) / *** Wakana ***

OMG, so excited for the newletter!!!!! It looks so fancy Much prettier than the FJC newsletters! And it looks much more sturdy. Ahhhhh, can’t wait!!!

Sadly, we didn’t get anything interesting in today’s LisAni! NAVI episode. I was hoping for a little comment by the girls but we just got the short PV version with some infos regarding Kalafina’s upcoming releases and events.